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3-n. 7<£3?.<*0. 5* 




HARVARD 

COLLEGE 
LIBRARY 




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Honorary Local BefertM (all of whom are Members of the Institution.) 

Cheshire, Shropshire, and North Wales. 

Captain Binney, Marine Superintendent, London and North Western Railway.. 

.Holyhead. 
Sir Thomas G. Frost \ rw»-r 
John M. Frost, Esq. / UIiester - 

T. Gibbons Frost, Esq., Mollington, Banastre, Chester. 
E. A, Keele, Esq., Dinorwic blale Quarries, Bangor. 
Sir Piyee Pryee- Jones, Newtown. 

Robert Robert*, Esq., J. P., Oakeley Quarrfe*, Blaenau Festiniog. 
H. C. Simpson, Esq., Horsehay, R.S.O., Shropshire. _. - 

Samuel Smith, Esq., M.P. tor Flintshire. 

■' »^ 

A. SMITHER, Actuary and Secretary, 48, Qracechurch Street EC*. 
Liverpool District Manager :— Mr. ALEXANDER WILLIAMS, 

71, Lord Street, Liverpool. 
APPLICATION FOR JAOBrNCfBS 1NVITR-D" 
Maroh, 1002. 







Gossiping Guide 
to Wales. 



(NORTH WALES AND ABERYSTWYTH), 



BY ASKEW ROBERTS AND BDWARD WOODALL. 



* 



POPULAR EDITION. 



WITH MAPS, PLANS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



* 



Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Stationers' Hall 

Court, London. 

WoOOALLr MlNSHALL, THOMAS & Co., OSWESTRY AND WREXHAM, 

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PREFACE. 



Thi " Gossiping Guide " is constantly revised, muoh of it 
often re- written, and a good deal of fresh information added. 
In previous editions the Publishers have gratefully acknow- 
ledged the valuable assistance rendered by the late Mr. W. 
W. E. Wynne of Peniarth, the late Canon Williams, author of 
" Eminent Welshmen,' and the Be v. Canon Silvan Evans, in 
the way of revision ; the late Bishop of Wakefield, the late 
Canon Butler, the Rev. Carleton Greene, and Mr. C. Croft, by 
contributions (in the Traveller's Edition) ; and the late Sir 
Andrew Ramsay, who kindly gave permission for the use of 
his interesting work on the Old Glaciers of Switzerland and 
North Wales (now out of print), and revised the proofs of 
the Chapter on the Remains of the Great Ice Age (also in 
the Traveller's Edition). Recent editions have had the especial 
advantage of the help of Mr. Egerton Phillimore, who has 
revised the proofs, and made valuable additions out of his 
stores of knowledge of Welsh philology and historic and 
legendary lore ; and the Publishers wish to express their great 
indebtedness to him. 

The name of the " Gossiping Guide," as representing its 
character, may easily be misunderstood ; but a glance at the 
contents will show that it aims to be also a practical, con- 
venient, and complete handbook. Particular care has been 
taken so to arrange the information as to enable the reader 
to discover with the least possible trouble what is to be seen 
in the places which he visits, and where he will find it de- 
scribed in the Guide. With this object u list of excursions 
is given under the names of the towns and villages chiefly 
frequented by visitors ; and a full and classified Index is 
added. 

Amongst the authorities consulted may be mentioned the 
Archaeologia Cambrensis and Archdeacon Thomas's valuable 
History of the Diocese of St. Asaph. The Publishers of 
the Guide endeavour to introduce into it from year to 
year such additions and corrections as are necessitated by 
the changes which are constantly going on. They gladly 
welcome any suggestions addressed to the Editor, Caxton 
Press, Oswestry ; and they offer their thanks to the many 
friends who have sent corrections and additions since the 
book first appeared in 1869, and to others who have cour* 
teonsly replied to inquiries and assisted in various ways. 



^ rQYM-WARr^ 




, SODA, 

POTASH, 

SELTZER WATER, 

. . LEMONADE, 

GINGER ALE (aromatic), 

BREWED GINGER BEER. 

SPECIALITIES— 

" Cymralls, " the Royal Welsh Table Water. 
" Dry Olnger Ale," the Cyclists Favourite Beverage. 
Natural " Crystal Spring " Water, Still or Sparkling. 

CAUTION.— Ask for ELLIS'S, and insist on having it Sec that 
Trade Mark nnd Name of Firm is on Labels and Corks, and tkal 
inferior waters are not substituted. 

R. Ellis & Son, Ruthin. 

(Established 1825). NORTH WALES 

London AgtnU,—ti. WIIE ATLB Y ft SONS, 34. South Audley 

Street, and 12 and 14, Bathurat Street, Suisei Square, W 



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The most Complete, Practical, and Amusing' Guide to North Wales. 

Price 3s. 6d. 



THE 



TRAVELLERS EDITION 



OF 



THE GOSSIPING GUIDE TO WALES. 

(North Wales and Aberystwyth). 
NOW CONTAINS 

- - A CHAPTER - - 

Of 35 pp. on 







Giving directions for a large number of roads, with heights, 
interesting spots by the way, &c. 

PRICE ONE SHILLING BACH. 

SOUVENIR OF SNOWDQNIfl 

Snowdon and the Snowdon Railway. '. 
ALSO BEAUTIFUL 

BETTWS-Y-COED 

And its Surroundings. 

To be had at Booksellers, Bookstalls and 
WOODALL, MINSHALL, THOMAS AND CO, 
Oswestry and Wrexham, 






Brewery & OfHcem— 

WREXHAM, 

N. Watos. 



CONTENTS. 

List of Hotels and other Advertisements Beginning of Book. 
List of Maps ... ... ... Opposite Hotel Index* 

Nones ... .- ... ... Opposite Hotel Index. 

IxiI/Kjl ... ... ... « . ... XVIIv 

Errata, Ac, Eights of Mountains ... ... xxxviii. 

Fourteen Days' Tours .. ... ... ... xxxix, 

A Week in Snowdonia ... ... ... ... xL 



On and off the Cambrian ... ... 1 

Shrewsbury to Welshpool, 1 to 4 — Whitchurch to Welshpool, 
with excursions to Vyrnwy, Ac., 5 to 12 — Welshpool to 
Brecon, 13 to 22 — Moat Lane to Aberystwyth, witb 
excursions to Dinas Mawddwy, Corris, &c, 22 to 38— 
Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge, 38 to 50 — Aberystwyth 
to Towyn, with excursions to Talyllyn, &c, 60 to 60 — 
Barmouth, 61 to 77— Dolgelley 77 to f 3— Barmouth to 
Harlech, Criccieth, Portmadoc, Pwllheli, and Nevin, 
with excursions to Cwm Bychan, Bardsey , &c. , 93 to 1 1 3. 

The Festiniog Railway... ... ... ... 113> 

Tanybwlch, Maentwrog, and Festiniog, 114 to 124. 

From Dke to Sea by Great Western ... ... 124 

Chester to Wrexham, Ruabon, and Llangollen, 124 to 141 — 
Llangollen to Corwen, Bala, and Barmouth, witb 
excursions to Ruthin, Bettws-y-Coed, Dinas Mawddwy, 
Festiniog, &o , 142 to 160. 

With the Wild Irishman ... ,.. ... 161 

Chester to Rhyl, 161 to 180— Rhyl to Ruthin and Wrexham 
to Denbicrh, 180 to 191— Rhyl to Llandudno, 191 — 
Pensarn and Colwyn Bay, 191 to 201— Llandudno, 201 
to 216 — Llandudno to LJaarwst, Trefriw, Bettws -y~ 
Coed, Dolwyddelan, and Festiniog, with excursions to* 
Capel Curig, &c, 216 to 243— Conway, 243 to 247— 
Conway to Bangor, 247, 248 — Penmaenmawr, Llan- 
fairjechan, Aber, Bangor, and the Meiiai Straits, witb 
excursions to Bethesda and Llyn Ogwen, &c., 248 to* 
276— Anglesey, 276 to 284. 

Snowdonia ... ... ... ... ... 284 

Carnarvon to Llanberis, Penygwryd, Capel Curig, and Llyn 
Ogwen, 284 to 303 — Carnarvon to Beddgelert, witb 
excursion through Nantlle, 304 to 309— Portmadoc to 
Penygwryd, 309 to 311 — Mountain Ascent & 311 to 336, 



MOTES 

Attempts are sometimes made in guide books to teach pro- 
nunciation, but they are of little use. It may be of some service, 
however, to remember that the common LI In Welsh names is 
pronounced tomething like thl (e.g., Thlangothlen) ; that dd is pro- 
nounced like the English th in the, that, &c. (so that ddu is pro- 
enounced thee); that eh is like eh in Scotch or German 
iBwlch being, as nearly as we can give it, Boolkta); that G and 
) are invariably hard (e.g., Geraint, like get, Celli— Kelll); that 
~u Is pronounced much like i, and when long, like •• (Capel 
Curig— " Kappel Kirrig," Llandudno— " Thlandidno") ; that all 
the vowels are sounded, and that euch Towel of A diphthong re- 
tains in the diphthong the same sound that it bears when alone. 

Hotel charges are much the same now all ove/ i,he country, 
and may be taken to range between twelve and fifteen shillings a 
day. At many of the inns, however, you may "live by the week"; 
and the charge varies from £2 10s. at some houses to £3 10s. at 
others. 

The cost of private lodgings, of course, varies considerably, 
according to the. place; but in the season, except in the most 
frequented resorts, or places where the lodgings are few, a weekly 
charge of £1 or £1 10s. for the sitting-room, and frotia SG*. to £1 
for each bedroom, may be tax en as a common tariff. In fashion- 
able positions, like the parade at Llandudno, the charge goes up 
to eight or ten guineas for three or four rooms. 

The charge for one-horse cars is Is. per mile, and 3d. per mile 
for the driver; with two horses, Is. 6d. per mile an u 3d. for the 
driver. If the conveyance is required for the return Journey the 
charges are generally half as much again. 

LIST OF MAPS, Ac. 

Aberystwyth, Plan of ... ... 38 

Bangor, Plan of ... ... ... 268 

Barmouth, Plan of ... . . ... ... 74 

Oadkr Idris from near Towyn ... ... ... 58 

Cader Idris District ... ..88 

Oader Idris from near Bont Newydd ... ... 158 

Carnarvon, Plan of ... ... ... ... 286 

Clwyd, Vale op ... ... ... 170 

Clynnoo Cromlech and Yr Eifl... ... ... lift 

Colwyn Bay, Plan of ... ... ... ... 198 

Conway, Plan of ... ... ... ... 244 

dolgellky, plan of ... ... ... 76 

ITestiniog, View from ... ... ... 116 

Harlech Castle, Plan of ... ... ..98 

Harlech Castle, View from ... ... ... 99 

Llanbbris, View Near . 288 

North Wales ... ... Facing page 1 

Panorama View, Barmoitth ... ... 66 

Penmaekmawr, View from' ... ... ... 252 

fiNOWDON FROM CAPEL Cl'RlO ... ... ... 298 

SHOWDON, FROM NEAR PORTMADOC ... ... 102 

Tre'r Ceiri, Hocse at... ... .. HO 

,, ,, a LAN of .. ..* ... ...HI 

Railway Map ... ... Beginning f Book. 

Khyl, Plan of .. ... ... 168 

SnOWDONIA ... ... ... 320 

The >ollow lines on the maps denote principal roads. ?r route described 

iu the Gui 'e 



LIST OF HOTELS IN NORTH WALES &C 



ADVERTISED IN THI? BOOK. 

Tourists map obtain assistance from the following lift of Hotel*, it-c, with 
reference to the Advertisement* in this book. 



ABERYSTWYTH- P«*e 

Northey's 8 

Victoria 7 

Waterloo Temperance 6 

Westminster 7 

White Home ~ 8 

ABERGELE- 

Bee 8 

BALA- 

WhiteLlon ..« 9 

BANGOR- 

Belle Vn* 11 

British 10 

George 10 

BARMOUTH- 

Coraygedol and Marine 12 

lion 14 

Oiielton Hall 18 

BEAUMARIS- 

Williams Bolkeley Arms 15 

BEDDGELERT- 

Prince Llewelyn ... — .... 17 

Royal Goat „....„. 1* 

Saracen's Head 18 

BETHESDA- 

Dtraglas Arms 18 

Victoria .. 19 

BETTWS-Y-COED- 

GlanAber ».,„ 22 

Owydir , 21 

Waterloo ....... .....: 20 

Willonghby Temperance SB 

CAPEL CURIG- 

Royai.,,, 24 

Tynycoed ........ _.».,.. 23 

CARN.Af>YON- 

Aagleeey ... . . ^.. . . vf 

Osstle.-.-. c . rr 

Prine* of Wales .... . ; sfr 

Pnowdon Hanger - .-.-.-..&... 26 

Sportsman 27 



CHESTER- P»g» 

Queen .» 8S 

CHIRK- 

Hand £j> 

COLWYN- 

Marine .. j»j 

Queen's 83 

COLWYN BAY- 

ColwynBay 81 

Imperial 32 

MtJtropnJe 82 

Pwllycrochan 80 

CONWAY- 

Castle , s« 

Oakwood Park » 85 

DEVILS BRIDGE- 

Devil'a Bridge 88 

DWYGYFYLCHl- 

Dwygyfylchi 80 

FESTINIOG- 

Abbey Arms 80 

Pengwern Arms 87 

GLYNDYFRDWY- 

BerwynArirs itff 

GLYN CEIRIOG- 

Olyn Valley * 88 

LAKE VYRNWY- 
LakeVyrnwy 89" 

LLANBEDR- 

Victorla .••• «> 

LLANBERIS- 

Dolbadam. ...,..;... ••<».• . j£ 

Idan, Hopse Temperance . . . . ... . . «- 

Padarn Villa ... .••:••• *** - Ty 

i Royal Victoria J* 

Bnowdou Valley *" 



Hotel Index 



LLANDUDNO- p *« e 

Central }* 

Deganwy Castle JJ 

Imperial • • 

Metmpole ..-. « 

LLANFAIRFECHAN- 
Queen's 



43 
45 



40 



LLANFYLLIN- 
Wynnstay Arms.. 



88 



LLANGOLLEN- 

BridgeEnd 49 

Wynnstay Ai m«, Eagles 47 

Eivion Temperance 49 

Grapes 49 

Royal 48 



MACHYNLLETH- 
Iion 



MENAI BRIDGE- 
Anglesey Arms 



OSWESTRY- 

Mattbewb' 

Queen's 



PENTRE VOELAS- 
VootasArms 



60 



60 



50 
51 



51 



PENMAENMAWR- 

Mona 54 

Fenmaenmawr 53 



PENRHYNDEUDRATH-Page. 

Griffia 51 

PEN-Y-GWRYD- 
Peo-y-gwryd 52 

PORTMADOC- 

Hngbes' Temperance 54 

Queen's •• 5 * 

PWLLHELI- 
West End 55 

RHYL- 

Albion 54 

RUTHIN- 

Castle 68 

SNOWDON- 
Snowdon Summit 59 

ANYBWLCH- 

Urapes 'JO 

Oakley Arms 59 

TALYLLYN- 

Penybont 

Tynycornel < 



60 
00 



TOWYN- 
Corbett Arms 3S 

TREFRIW- 
BelleVue , 01 

WELSHPOOL- 
RoyalOak 



60 



OTHER ADVE 

ABERY8TWYTH- *•*• 

Apartments— Avondale House .... 7 

Lenton House 7 

Oollege ....— * 

Bills House Agent 8 

Family Grocer, Rea ... .. 8 

Ironmongery, Davis and Sons . . 14 

Photographer, Gyde * 

Pianos, WheaUey | 

Stabler? 8 

Swimming Baths J 

Town - J 

Watchmaker D. Evans 5 



RTISEMENTS. 

BANGOR- *«*« 

Dew and Son, House Agents .. 11 

BARMOUTH- 

Apartments -Inveruga 11 

Talydon u 

Guide to Barmouth li 

BETTW8-Y-COED- 

Apartments— Coedyf ron 28 

OhemUt, &c., R. Parry 19 

Oraigydon Boarding House .... 23 
Private Boarding House, Llugwy 

Cottage 23 



Index 



Page 
. 33 



CONWAY- 
Cycle Depot, Jones and Son 

DOLWYDDELEN- 
Bookseller, Ellis Pierce 86 

DWYGYFYLCHI- 
Fairy Glen 86 

LLANDUDNO- 

Apartments— Craigydon 42 

Milveiton House 42 

Ripon House 42 

Ormescliffe 44 

Bays Hill House... 42 

^ „ Seaforth 42 

Deacon's Cycle Depot 

Third page of cover 
Dew and Son 45 

A,o.pngh :..::;:. .:: \l 

LLANFAIRFECHAN- 
Sea View Boarding House ...... 47 

NEWTOWN- 
Pryoe-Jones Ltd. 

OQWENLAKE- ndPage0fOffl ™ 
Refreshment Rooms 50 

PENMAENMAWR- 

Apartments- Tabet firynmaenol 51 

RHYL- 
Ernest Jones ...... , ,, 57 

RUTHIN- 

Cambrian Soda Water Co, 

BUiaand Sons' Mlne«a^fe. I s IldeX 

Back of Cover of Is. and 

two (W. Editions, and 

'•c^g railway m »P 'n 

all editions. 
COLLEGE- 

Aberystwyth College _ 4 

HOUSE AND ESTATE 
AGENTS- 

m*? 8 !*** 11 ' B E »*s 8 

Llandudno, w t Dew and Son H & 45 

»» A. G. Pagh ,.. 45 




PWLLHELI- 

Gtynyweddw Hall 

Recreation Grounds _ 

PUBLICATIONS- 

Guide to Barmouth n 

Woodall, Midbhall, Thomas, and 
Co'* List, 70, 71.jnd 78, 
and Beginning of Book 

RAILWAY8 A COACHE8- 

Cambrfan Railways 02 

Corris Railway * 43 

Festinioff "" 54 

Glyn Valley Tramway ....".'/.'.*.** f6 

Great Western Railway *0 

London and North Western 

Railway 37 

North Wales Narrow Gauge " !.' 63 

Talyllyn Railway 7. 69 

MISCELLANEOUS- 

BUcBersderfer .Typewriter 

Facing 81 d rage of cover 

Cambrian Soda Water Co., 
Ruthin _ Facing Index 

Collins, Sons, and Co Beginning 

of Book 

Deacon and Sons' Cycle Depot 

Third page of cover 

Ellis A Sons, Ruthin Back of 

Cover of Is. Edition and two 6d. 
Editions, and facing railway 
map in all Editions. 

Epps's Cocoa. . . . Facing Second page 

of cover 
Ernest Jones, Photographer. 
Rnyl 57 

Gaze's Tourist Agency 1 

National Provident Institution .. 

Facing Title. 
Pryce-Joaes Ltd. 

2nd page of cover. 
Wrexham Lager Beer Co. 

Facing Contents 



CELEBRATED 



CAMBRIAN 
MINERAL WATERS, 



RUTHIN. 



MANUFACTURED BY THE 

Ruthin Soda Water Company, 
Limited. 

UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL. 

By Dr. C. B. FRANCIS, late Principal of (he Medical College in 

Calcutta — an entire stranger to the Company. See the Indian 

Magaiint, September 1 888, ' on the beat mode of preserving 

health in India,' page 487 : — ' 

Among THE BEST SODA WATER SOLD h that supplied by 
ihi Ruthin Soda Water Company— the Water being obtained from 
a* Artesian Spring in the Vale of Clwyd, North Walts. 

Ask for the CAMBRIAN WATERS. 

SODA WATER, «»■ — LEMONADE, 

J8F.LTZER WATER, GINGEK ALE, 

POTASS WATER, k ZOLAKONE, 

LITHIA WATER, | GINGER BEER, 

AKRATEDWATER, V DO. BREWED, 

QUININE TONIC, LIME JUICE, *c. 

"flMBbriaa" EOT Bitter*- -Own Brewing by New Procu*. 
Good* forwarded free to all Railway Stations in Great Britain. 
Price Lilt, Testimonial!, and Report of Analysis, post tree on 
application. 

Address- Ua&ager, Cambrian Werki,Rnthln. Worth Walt* 



INDEX 



The «« F " or " Tr '* in names, such as " T Gam," " Tr Afon," is 
generally omitted, as it is only equivalent to " The." 

Where several pages are given under one name the first generally con 
tains the description of the place. 

Antiquarian Remains, Cromlechs, Encampments (Ancient), Fishing 
Stations, Legends, Stones (inscribed and erect, including crosses), and 
Wells, are classed together. 



Aber (Aber Gwyngregyn), 264; to 
Bangor, 248; to Bethesda, 266; to 
Bwlch-y-ddeufaen and Tal-y cafn, 
267; to Carnedd Llewelyn, 265, 
266; distances, 264; to Falls, 265; 
to LI yuan -afon, 267; to Moel 
Wnion, 266. 

Aber Falls, 265; from Carnedd 
Llewelyn, 328. 

Aberamffra Harbour, 63, 76. 

Aberangell, 24. 

Aber Cowarch, 26, 156; Fall, 28. 

Aberdaron, 109; Dick of, 109, 174; 
from Pwllheli, 109; Simple Folk 
of, 109. 

Aberdaron, Dick of, 109, 174. 

Aberdovey, 51; Bells of, 51; to 
Borth, 52; Golf Links, 51. 

Aberffraw, 280. 

Abersrele, 192 (see Pen-sarn). 

AbergTaslyn (see Pont Aberglas- 
lyn), 310, 309, 104, 114, 123. 

Aber Groes, 52. 

Abergwynant Valley, 73, 89. 

Aberyynolwyn, 57; from Corris 
and Tal-y -llyn, 33; from Machyn- 
lleth, 34; from Towyn, 56. 

Aber Him ant, 154 

Aberhonddu (Brecon), 21. 

Aber Leri (Borth), 35. 

Aberllef eni, 33 ; to Dolgelley, 33. 

Abermule, 15. 

Aber-naint, 149. 

Aber-sdch, 108. 

Aberyetwyth, 38 ; Allt-wen Cliffs, 
42; to Barmouth and Towyn, 50; 
to Bedd Taliesin, 44 ; from Borth, 
38; castle, 40; Clarach Valley, 
39; Clettwr Valley, 44; College, 
41; Constitution Hill, 39; Craig- 
lais Rocks, 39; to Devil's Bridge, 
45; distances and excursions, 38; 
fishing, 40: to Furnace Fall, 44; 

[Shilling Edition.] 



Aberystwyth— Continued. 
Golf Links, *0; Llanbadarn, 41; 
Llyfnant Valley, 44; Monk's Cave, 
42; Pen Dinas, 42; ascent of Plyn- 
limmon, 49; to Strata Florida, 44. 

Acrefair, 128. 

Acton, 126. 

Afon Cowny, 9. 

Afon Ddu (Llanfair-fechan), 261; 
(Vale of Conway), 221. 

Afon Hen, 112. 

Afon Rhaiadr M<iwr (Aber), 265. 

Afon-wen, 106, 288. 

Agricola crossing the Menal 
Straits, 275; his Pass, 178. 

Alberbury Church, 4. 

Aled, R., 239. 

Alleluia Victory, 190. 

Allt M6ch, 17. 

Allt Wen, 246. 

Allt-wen Cliffs, 42. 

Allt yr Hendre, 17. 

Alwen, R., 145. 

Alyn (Alun), R., 124, 188. 190. 

Amlwch, 284, 279. 

Anglesey, 273—284. 

Anglesey Castle, 275 ; Column, 274. 

ANTIQUARIAN REMAINS (Crom- 
lechs, Encampments, and Erect 
and Inscribed Stones are separ- 
ately classified) : —Aber, nr., 267; 
Anglesey, in, 275, 287; Beaumaris, 
277; Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy, 119; 
Bedd Gwrtheyrn. Ill; Bedd 
Taliesin, 37; Bwlch-y-ddeufaen, 
at, 261; Bwrdd Arthur, 183; Caer 
Gai, at, 153 ; Caer-sws, at, 22 ; Cana 
Office, near, 12; Carneddau Hen- 
gwm, 68; Carreg Hova Castle, 
found at, 10; Cefn Caves, 175; 
Cerrig-v -beddau, 6; Chester, at, 
161, 162; Conway Mountain, on, 
246; Cors-y-gedol, near, 69; Craig 

[xvil.] 



Antiquarian Remain*.] 



INDEX. 



[Cromlechs, Encampment*. 



i 



Antiq. Remains— Continued. 
Rhiwarth, on, 10; Cup Markings, 
144: Cyttiau (Ancient Huts), 111, 
186, 283, 328; Foel Litis, on, 257; 
Game of Fives, scoring on the 
church doors, 146; Gravestones 
with kneeling holes, 144; Great 
Orme, on the, 205; Harlech, near, 
96, 101; Hengwrt MSS., 58; Holy- 
head, near, 283; Hut Circles, 296; 
Hwylfa'r Ceirw, 207; Lake Dwell- 
ings, 21, 151; Lazy-tongs (Dog- 
tcngs), 112, 185, 268; Llanaber 
Church, at, 67; Llanbeblig, 287; 
Llanfair-fechan, near, 262; Llan- 
fechell, near, 284; Liangynog, 
near, 10; Lied Croen yr Yen, 23; 
Llyn Biddew, at, 101; Llyn Ir- 
ddyn, at, 69; Llys Bradwen, 73; 
Maen-y campiau, 256; Moats, 16; 
Newmarket, near, 178; Newydd 
Fynyddog, 23; Penmaen-mawr, 
254; Penmon Priory, at, 278; Pen- 
nal, near, 34; Pistyll Rhaiadr, 
near, 6; Plas Newydd, at, 275; 
Ruthin, near. 186: Segontium, 
287; St. Mary*s Abbey, Bardsey, 
110; Tomen Ddreiniog, 58 ; Tomen 
in Talgarth Park, 34; Tomen-y- 
Bala, 150; Tomen-y-mur, 121; Tre- 
madoc, near, 103;Yspytty Cynfyn, 

at. 48 - ... 

Aran Benllyn (2,901 ft.), and 

Aran Pawddwy (2,970 ft.). 27. 157; 
ascent from Dinas Mawddwy, 26; 
ascent from Drws-y-nant, 157, 89; 
descent to Drws-y-nant, 157; as- 
cent from Llanuwchllyn, 156. 

Aran (Snowdon), 312. 

Arch of Caligula, 281. 

Arddleen, 10. 

Arenig Fach (2,284 ft.), 120. 

Areniff Pawr (2,800 ft.), 158, 120. 

Arenig Lake, 158, 152. 

Arenig Station, 123, 158. 

Arnold's (Matthew) Sonnet on 
springs in Anglesey, 283. 

Arthoff, 73, 72. 160; Fall, 73. 

Arthur, King, 153, 188: Quoits, 284. 

Asaph, St., 173, 175; from Rhy 1,170. 

Baglllt, 165. 

Bala, 150; boattng, 152; to Dinas 
Mawddwy, 155; distances and ex- 
cursions, 150; to Dolgelley, 159; 
to Festinlog, Maentwrog, and 
Trawsfynyda. 158; fishing, 152; 
Lake, 152; from Oswestry and 
Pistyll Rhaiadr, 6; Sassiwn, 150; 
to Trawsfynydd, 155; to Vyrnwy, 
154. 155. 



•Traveller's Edition: $ee List of Content* 
[xviii.] 



Bala Junction, 149, 159. 

Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), 151, 152. 

Bangror, 267; to the bridges, 273, 
268; to Beaumaris, 276; to Beth- 
esda, 270; to Carnarvon, 276; 
cathedral, 268; from Conway, 
248; distances and excursions, 
267; to Holyhead, 279; Jubilee 
Hill, 269; to Llanberis, through 
Pentir, 269; to Penrhyn Castle, 
270. 

Bangor Is-y-coed, 126. 

Barber's Hill (1,068 ft.}, 136. 

Bardsey Isle (Ynys Enlli), 110; from 
Portmadoc, 104. 

Barmouth, 61; to Abergwynant 
Valley, 73; to Arthog, 72, 73; 
from Bala, 159; boating, 64; boat 
to Pen maen -pool, 64; Bont-ddu, 
76; Botanical Ramble at, (*); 
Bridge, 65; to Cader Xdrls, 
74; Carneddau Hengwm, 68; 
to Cors-y-gedol Mansion and 
Lakes, 68, 69; Craig Abermaw, 65; 
to Cwm By chan, 70, 95; to sum- 
mit of Diphwys and Drws Ardud- 
wy, 71; from Drws Ardudwy, 96; 
distances and excursions, 61; 
from Dolgelley, 78. 160; to ditto, 
75; Dyflryn, 68; fishing, 64; to 
Friog, 72; Golf Links, 62; Guild 
of St. George, 64; to Harlech, 70; 
to Henddol, 72; to Llanaber, 66, 
63; from Llanfih angel (walk), 74; 
to Llanfihangel and Abergynol- 
wyn, 73;. to Llwyn-gwril, 72, 73; 
to Llys Bradwen, and Llynlau 
Creigenen, 73; Mawddach Estu- 
ary, 75; to Mochras, 70; Panor- 
ama Walk, 66; Pant Einion, 72; 
to Precipice Walk and Water- 
falls, 70; Snowdon, 160, view of. 
67; Sylfaen lane, 65, 66, 71, 76; 
from Towyn, 60. 
Barmouth Junction, 65, 61, 72; 
from Dolgelley, 160; from Towyn. 
60. 
Basingwerk Abbey, 165. 
Beaumaris, 276; from Bangor, 
276; Baron Hill. 277; castle, Z77; 
distances, 276; to Llelniog -Castle 
and Penmon Priory, 278; Puffin 
Island, 278; to Red Wharf Bay 
and Bwrdd Arthur, 279. 
Beavers in Wales, 235. 
Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy, 119. 
Beddgelert, 307, 160; from Car 
narvon and Rhyd-ddu, 304, 305; 
church, 308; from Criccieth, 105; 

I distances and excursions, 307; to 



Pithing, Legtnd»,~\ 



INDEX. lWtU$, «e. t da-4d togtkm: 



Beddfjalert— Continued. 
Dolwyddelan, 310: from Festiniog 
oyer the hills, 122; fishing, 306; 
Gelert's Grave, 309; from Nantlle, 
306; to Pen-y-gwryd, 310; Pont 
Aberglaslyn, 309, 310; from Port- 
madoc, 309, 71, 104; Snowdon, as- 
cents of, 318, 320; to Tan-y -bwlch 
and Festiniog, 309; to Tan-y- 
grisiau Station, 309. 

Bedd Gwrtheyrn, 111. 

Bedd Porlus, 87. 

Bedd Taliesin, 37. 

Bell (Hand) for Funerals, 176. 

Benglog Falls, 272, 301. 

Bera Bach, 265, 323. 

Berriew, 14. 

Berthan, R., 330. 

Berth Lwyd, 17. 

Berwyn Mtns., 7, 141, 147. 

Berwyn Station, 142, 131, 133, 137. 

B«thea<S*f 271; from Bangor, 270; 
from Capel Curig and Llyn Og- 
wen, 301; to ditto, 272; ascent of 
Carnedd Llewelyn and Dafydd, 
329, 330; distances, 272; to Elldyr 
Fawr, 325. 

Bettws Abergele, 194. 

Bettws Garmon, 304. 

Bettw»-y-coed t 229; to Capel 
Curig, 232; to Capel Garmon 
Cromlech, 236; to Conway, by 
road, 220; Conway Fall, 235; 
from Corwen, 145; distances 
and excursions, 229; to Dol- 
wyddelan and Festiniog, by 
rail, 219, by road, 239; Fairy 
Glen, 235; fishing, 230; to Gallt- 
y-foel, 237; to Geirionydd and 
Crafnant, 238; Hiraethog Hills, 
239; Jubilee Bridge, 236; from 
Llandudno and Llanrwst, 217— 
219; to Llanrwst and Trefrlw,220; 
to ditto, by Llyn-y-parc, 237; to 
Llyn Elsi, 231; Miners' Bridge, 
232; Pandy Mill, 236; to Pen- 
machno, 239; Pen-yr-allt, 231; to 
Pont-y-pant, 238; to Summer 
House, 233; Swallow Fall, 233, 
234; to Trefriw, 220; Ty Hyll 
Bridge, 233, 234; Waterloo Bridge, 
234 

Beuno, St., 14, 112, 165. 

Bird Rock, 58, 56. 

Birmingham Waterworks, 20. 

Black Cellar (Seler Ddu), 112. 

Black Ladders, 327. 

Black Rock (Gralg Ddu), 105. 

Blaena.il Featinioff (Duffws), 
116; from Bettws-y-coed, 220; dis- 
tances, 117. 



Blaen Hafren, 18. 

Blaen y-cwm, 7. 

Blocs Perches, 292, 316. 

Boadicea's alleged grave, 178. 

Bodafon Hill, 279. 

Bodelwyddan, 172; from Rhyl, 170. 

Bodfarl, 180, 191. 

Bodorgan, 280. 

Bodrhyddan, 176. 

Bodvean Woods, 107. 

Bodvel, 110. 

Bont-ddu and Fall, 76, 89. 

Bont Newydd, near Dolgelley, 81, 
160; near Festiniog, 119. 

Borth, 36; to Aberystwyth, 37, 38; 
to Bedd Taliesin, 37; to Clettwr 
Valley, 37; to Furnace Fall, 36} 
Golf Links. 36; to Towyn, 50. 

Borthwen, 284. 

Borth-y-gfest, 103. 

Bow Street, 38. 

Braich Du, 328, 330. 

Braich-y-parc, 334. 

Braich-y-pwll, 109. 

Bran Fendlgald, 98. 

Brecon, 21. 

Breconshire Beacons (2,906 ft.), 21. 

Breidden (1,202 ft.), 11, 4. 

Briddell Arw (2,187 ft.), 34, 60. 

Bride, St , 213. 

Bridge End, 189. 

Bright, Mr., at Llandudno, 208. 

Britannia Bridge, 274. 

Bron Llwyd, 324, 325. 

Bronwen (Branwen), 96. 

Broughton, 163. 

Brynbella, 175. 

Bryn-crug, 57. 

Bryn Cyfergyd, 122. 

Bryn Euryn, 200, 210. 

Bryn-glas, 60. 

Bryngwyn, 304. 

Brynkinallt, 139. 

Bryn Maelgwn, 212. 

Bryn-y-castell, 120. 

Bryn-y-lladdfa, 178. 

Bryn-yr-eglwys, 34. 

Bryn-y-saethau, 178. 

Buckley, 189. 

Builth Wells, 21. 

Bull Bay, 284. 

Burne-Jones, 163. 

Buttington, 4, 11, 1. 

Bwlch Carreg-y-fran, 241. 

Bwlch Cyfrwy Drum, 327, 330. 

Bwlch Ehediad, 243, 297. 

Bwlch Goriwaered, 84. 

Bwlch Llawllech, 71. 

Bwlch Maen Gwynedd, 147, 7. 

Bwlch Mawr, 112. 

Bwlch Oerddrws (1,178 ft.), 25, 89. 

[xir.J 



Antiquarian Il*maini.~\ 



t Ychain. 242, 296, 310, 



Bwleb Tyddlad. 96, TO. 
Bw 1 c h - y-dd o uf aa - 
Aber, 867; Irom C 



Bwlcb-y-giryddel, 286. 
Bwlch-y-llan. near Barmouth, 6T. 



Citilor Fronw 



75. s§. j, — _ „., „, 

y-llya, 59; to Tal-y-llyn, 92; from 

ToStd, 69; to Towyn. 93; Tyrflu 

Mawr, T4, 83; view. 90. 
Cadfane Pillar, 54. 
Cae'r Berllan Castle, 58. 
Chit Oai, 153, 
Caergwrle. 1B9; castle. IBB. 
C»er Gybl, 281. 
CaarhQn, 215. 217; from Tal-y- 

oafn, 215: Irom Trerriw, 221. 



Cal Hlr ap Cynyr, 153. 



Capel Bangor, 48. 

Oapal Curiar, 287; to Bangor, 301; 
Irom Kuttwe y-coed. 232; to Craig 
Eiryrod, MO; distancea and eicur- 
■lons. 297; from Dolwyddelan, 
£42; to ditto. 300; turning, 298; 
from Llanrwst, 227; to Llyn Cow 
lyd, 208; to Llyn Crafnant. 29B; to 
Llyn Qelrlonydd. 298: to Llyn 
XJUIW7, 301; to Llyn Ogwen, Id- 
wal and Twll Do. 301. 302; Meant 



Cupnl Curia;— Continued. 
olMoel Slabod, 332; Pen-lllthrig- 

227 n ;' y t^*5iB- 



y-wracb. 3 
287; from 



Capel Curlg Lakes 



17, 146. 

Carnarvon, 288;to Aton-wen, £88; 
from Bangor, 276; to Beddgelert, 



atatlon. Rhyd-ddu, 304; distances 

and excursions, 288; to Llan- 

beria, 288; to Nantlle, 308; Irom 

Nevin and Pwllheli, 112; Segon- 

tlum. 287; Twt Hill, 287. 

Carn Boduan (918 ft.), 111. 

Carnedd Dafydd (3,428 ft.), and 

Cam add Llewsiyn (3,484 ft), 

326; Irom Aber, 285; to ditto, 

328; from and to BetheBda, 329— 

"" ' " CutlS. ~ -- 



328: by Lloer Lake to Carnedd 
Dafydd, 328; from Ogwen road, 
328, 328; to ditto, 328; from Pen- 

- "" ' "— ""-Iwyd 



Fall, 331; Irom Tal-y-caln mi 

Llaiihedr, 218; T i«wa, 528, 327. 

Carnedd Ugan (3,476 It), JI2, 314. 



Cam ft 


adrjn 


1,817 fl.l 


108. 


Carn M 




l-liiir, S2 




Carno, 


22? HI 


'•T. 'H. 




?arreg 


Fawr 


1,167 It.) 


259. 




Hova Castle. 10 




:"fe| 




nencd, 96 




;arreg 


"if? 


b. 218. 










• 'V 


B., 329 






Casteli 


Caer Helen (Lie 


onl. 


Cast* 11 Carn I 


ooban, 154. 


Casteli 


Cawr, 






Jastell 


Cldwm 


304. 





Oa«t«ii Dlnu Bran, 130, 
Casteli Bol-forwyn, 15. 
Casteli Gronw, 151, 159. 



;astell-y-bere,'58. 57. 
laatle Hill (Chirk), 1 



.- ancient remains): — 

Celn. 174: at Neirmarket. 178; at 
Perthl Chwareu, 135; at Tremelr- 



Fishing, Legends,] 



INDEX. {WeUs, etc., classed together. 



Cefn Caer, 34. 

Cefn Carnedd, 17. 

Cefn Caves, 174; Hall, 175; from 

Trefnant, 174. 
Cefn Cyfarwydd, 228. 
Cefn Digoll, 13. 

Cefn Maen Namor (1,282 ft.), 256. 
Cefn Mawr, 82. 
Cefn Rhos Uchaf, 52. 
Cefn-y-bedd, 189. 
Cefn-y-capel, 324, 298. 
Cefn-y-castell, 11. 
Cefn-yr-arryg (see Foel Grach). 
Cefn-yr-ogof, 193. 
Cefn Ysgollon Duon, 327. 
Cellwart Brook, 67. 
Ceiriog, R, 127, 144; Falls, 144. 
Ceiriog Valley, 7, 127. 
Cemaes Bay, 284. 
Cemmes, 24. 
Cemmes Road, 23.' 
Cerrig-y-ddinas, 255. 
Cerrig-y-drudlon, 146. 
Ceunant Mawr, 290. 
Ceunant-y-parc, from Penrhyn-deu- 

draeth, 102. 
Charles I., 11, 21, 162, 181. 
Chartists at Llanidloes, 18. 
Cheater, 161; cathedral, 162; 

churches, 162; to Llangollen, 

Bala, Dolgelley and Barmouth, 

124; to Mold and Denbigh, 189; 

Old Houses, 161; Roodee, 162; 

Rows, 161; to Rhyl and Llandud- 
no, 164; Walls, 162. 
China Rock, 277 
Chirk, 139, 7; castle, 140, 138; to 

Llangollen, 140. 
Chwilog, to Nevin, 111. 
Cilcaln, 187, 190. 
Claerwen, R., 20. 
Clarach Bay, 37. 
Clenenney, 106. 
Clettwr Valley, 37, 38. 
Ciive, Lord, 3. 
Clogau Mine, 76. 
Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, 312. 
Clogwyn Mawr, 298 
Clogwyn-y-garreg, 306. 
Clogwyn-yr-helwyn, 329. 
Clorach, 283. 
Clwyd, R., 170. 
Clwyd, Vale of, 170, 173, 148; 

churches, 184. 
Clwydlan Range, 188. 
Clynnog, 112; from Dinas Junction 

and Llanwnda, 113, 287. 
Clywedog, R. (Dolgelley), 80: 

(Llanidloes), 17;(Mallwyd), 12,24. 

Cnicht (2.265 ft.), 333; from Bedd- 
gelert, 334. 

'Traveller' 8 Edition: see List of Cont 



Coed Cdch, 199. 

Coffin-plates on Church Walls, 177, 
194. 

Coleridge, on Plynllmmon, 49; at 
Shrewsbury, 3. 

Colomendy, 188. 

Colwyn, 195, 197, 191. 

Colwyn Bay, 195, 191; Black 
Dingle, 199; to Bryn Euryn, 200; 
to Bryn-y-maen Church, 197; 
Coed C6ch, 199; distances and ex- 
cursions, 195; to Glan Conway, 
197; Golf Links, 196; to Llan- 
drillo, Little Orme, and Llandud- 
no, 199; to Llandudno by rail, 
191; to Llysfaen, 198; Nant 
Dywyll, 199; to Pwll-y-crochan 
Woods, 196; to Rh6s Trlllo, 199; 
to St. Elian's Well, 198; water 
supply, 228. 

Colwyn, R., 307, 318. 

Conchology (*). 

Conovium (Caerhun), 215, 217. 

Conway, 243; to Bangor, 247; 
round Bodlondeb, 245; Castell 
Caer Seion, 246; castle, 244: 
church, 244; to Deganwy and 
Llandudno by Ferry, 245; to 
Druids' Circle, 247; to Fairy 
Glen, 246; Golf Links, 213, 246: to 
Llangelynin, 247; Mountain, 246; 
to Penmaen-mawr, &c, by Syoh- 
nant Pass, 246; Plas Mawr, 245; 
Town Hill, 246; from Trefriw and 
Bettws-y-coed by road, 220; to 
Trefriw, by steamer, 217; water 
supply, 228. 

Conway Fall, 235, 146. 

Conway Mountain, 246. 

Conway Pearls, 216. 

Conway, R., 216, 235, 239; Valley, 
216. 

Coracle, the, 141. 

Corndon (1,685 ft.), 13. 

Corria, 33; to Cader Idris, 33; dis- 
tances, 34; to Dolgelley, 33; from 
Machynlleth, 33; to Tal-y-llytt 
and Towyn, 33; river, 33. 

Cors Fochno, 34. 

Cors-y-garnedd, 84. 

Cors-y-gedol, 69. 

Corwen, 143; to Bala, 146; to 
Bettws-y-coed, 145 ; distances, 
143; toLlanarmon, 144; to Ruthin 
and Rhyl, 146. 

Cowarch, River and valley, 26. 

Cox, David, sign by, 230. 

Craig Aberniaw, 65. 

Craig Aderyn (Bird Rock), 58, 56. 

Craig Cwm Llwyd, 75. 

Crtig Ddrwg (2,051 ft.), 93, 95, 101. 

ents. 

[xxi.] 



Antiquarian Remain*,] 



INDEX. {Cromlechs, Encampment*, 



Craig G6ch, 20. 

graig Hafodwen, 249. 
ralg Khiwarth, 10. 

Cralg-y-ddlnas, near Barmouth, 60. 

Craig-y-llam, 88. 

Craig -y-mwn mines, 7. 

Craig-y-saeth, 96. 

Crannogs, 21, 151. 

Crelgenen Lakes, 73. 

Creigiau Oleision, 228. 

Creiglyn Dyfi. 27, 157. 

Qrlcctoth, 104, 103, 306; castle, 104; 
cromlechs, 105; distances and ex- 
cursions, 103; from Moel Hebog, 
336; to Moel Hebog, 105; to 
Pwllheli. 106; to Rhyd-ddu, 105. 

Croesor,l23, 309, 334. 

CROMLECHS:— Capel Garmon, 237; 
Clynnog, 112, 287; Criccieth, 105; 
Dyffryn Cromlechs, 69; Glan Con- 
way, 200; Great Orme, 206; Hen- 
bias, 280; Llanbedr, 94; Llugwy, 
279; Mynydd Cefn Amwlch, 109; 
Flas Newydd, 275; Ro-wen, near, 

Cromwell, 41, 139, 193. 

Cross Foxes, 25, 33, 75, 88, 89, 93. 

Crosswood (Trawscned), 49. 

Crow Castle, 130. 

Curfew rung at Conway, 243; at 
Dolgelley, 78. 

Cwellyn Station, 304, 305, 306, 319. 

Cwm, 177. 

Cwm Bochlwyd, 303, 297, 323. 

Cwm Bual, 325. 

Owm Bychan, 96; from Bar- 
mouth, 70; from Harlech, 99; 
from Llanbedr, 95. 

Cwm Celll Iago, 334. 

Cwm Clyd, 302, 324. 

Cwm Cowarch, 26. 27. 

Cwm Croes, 155, 156. 

Cwm Croesor, 123, 309, 334. 

Cwm Dyli Falls, 296. 

Cwm Einon, 38. 

Cwm Elan House, 20. 

Cwm Glas, 292, 312 (f). 

Cwm Graianog, 272. 

Cwm Hir Abbey. 19. 

Cwm Llawenog. 7. 

Cwm Llechau, 71. 

Cwm Llugwy, 327, 330. 

€vm Mynach Valley, 89, 72. 

Cwm Nantcol, 97. 

Cwm Orthln, 122, 909; Lake, 122. 

Cwm Penamnen, 241, 120. 

Cwm Pen Llafar, 327, 330. 

Cwm Prysor, 123, 159. 



Cwm Try fan, 297. 
Cwm-y-glo, 288. 
Cwm-y-nhadog, 220. 
Cwm Ystrallyn Lake, 108. 
Cycling Section (♦). 
Cyfarthfa, 32. 
Cyfyng Falls, 233. 
Cymmer Abbey, 85, 76. 
Cynfael Castle, 120. 
Cynfael, R., and Falls, 118. 
Cyngreawdr, 207. 
Cynlas, 147. 
Cynwyd, 145, 147. 
Cynyr Farfog (Timon), 153. 
Cyrn-y-brain (1,843 ft.), 134. 

Dafydd Ddu Hiraddug, 176. 

Danes in Wales, 11. 

Darwin, Charles, 1, 3, 4. 

Davles, D., statue, 17. 

Davies, Robt. (Bardd Nantglyn), 
183. 

Davydd an Gruffydd, 2. 

Dduallt Station, 116. 

Dduallt, Y, 84. 

Dee, R., 124, 133, 141—5, 147, 159. 164, 
(meaning) 142. 

Dee to Sea by Great Western, 124— 
160. 

Deganwy, 212, 214; ferry, 213, 245. 

Denbigh, 180; from Abergele, 
194; castle. 181; church, 181; dis- 
tances, 180; to Gwaenynog, 182; 
to Pentrevoelas and Llansannan. 
183; Priory, 182; from Rhyl, 180; 
to Ruthin, 185; Stanley's (H. M.) 
birthplace, 182; from Wrexham, 
189. 

Derwen, 148. 

Deudraeth Castle, 102. 

Devil's Bridge, 46"; from Aber- 
ystwyth, 45; falls, 47; to Hafod 
and Strata Florida Station, 48; 
from Llanidloes, 19; to Parson's 
Bridge, 48 ; to Plynllmmon, 49 ; to 
Pont Erwyd, 48. 46; from Traws- 
coed Station, 45; to Trawscoed 
Station, 49. 

Devil's Kitchen (see Twll Du). 

Devil's Punch Bowl, 47. 

Dick of Aberdaron, 109, 174. 

Diflas (Dulas), R., 33. 

Dinas Bran, 130. 

Dlnas Dinlle, 113. 

Dlnas Emrys, 310. 

Dinas Junction, 304, 288, 287, 113. 

Dinas (Llanfair-fechan), 262. 

Dinas Mawddwy, 23; ascent of 



•Traveller's Edition: 
^Traveller's Edition: 

[xxli.l 



see List of Contents. 

set Unfrequented Ascents of Snowdon in List of Con- 



Dinas MiHddwy- Continued. 

Aran?. 2fi; fn.ru Rnlii. 155; fro 
Cemmes Koad, 24; distances, 2 
from Dolgelley. 89; to Ditto, 21 
from Welshpool, 12; Y Cyttir. 2 

IMphwys (Duflws. Blaenau), 116. 

DiphWyn .2,^62 fD.nfur B&rmout 
ascent, 71; from Penmaen poc 

Dlpbwys, near Maeatwrog, 63. 



Do&allay, 77; la Abergwynant 
Valley, 89; to Aran Fawddwy, 89; 
from Bala. 158; Irom Bar mouth, 
75; to dltlo. 78, 160; Bont-ddu. 

69; Cndiir Tdri-. S3; from Corris 
station and MachyrilWh. .13; 
Cymmer Abbey. 85; to Dlnas 
Mawddwy, 88; distances and ex- 
rursliras. 77; to F, sUiilns;. fl7; 
nshtng, 78; jrold mines, 86; from 



INDEX. [JFrflt, «*., dam4 (oj.tttr. 

I Drum (2.S28 tt.), 257. 265. 
Di-wm Ardudwy, 98; from Bar- 
mouth, 70. 71; from Dyflryn, 70; 



ind Khobell Fan 



rent Walk, 80; to Tyn-y-groes, 

(waterfalls. 4c), 88. 85; to Traws- 

lynydd; 87. 
Dof-gooh and Falls, 59. 
Dol-serau Hall, BO. 
Do] wreiddiog. 70. 95. 100. 
Dolwyddelan, 240; from Bettws- 

y-eoed. 219; trnm Cape] Curlg. 

300; to ditto, ?42 ; castle. 241'; 

distances, 240; to Festinlo* by 

Horn an road. 241, by railway, 

219; from Gwynant Valley, SID; 

to ditto, 2.13; Mo(;I Sinbod, J.5J; 

to Pen-y-gwryd, 242; from ditto. 

236. 



Drws-ycoed Isaf. 308 
Drws-y-coed L'ehaf. S08. ' 

Drws-v-nairt, 159, 27; ascent ol 

Ar*Fi Fawddwv, 89, 157. 
Duftws (Blaenau), 116. 
Dugoed. 26. 
Dulas (Dlflss). R.. S3, 
fiuwaincdd Lakes, 242, 297. 333. 
Dwylaeh. K-, 105. 
Dwytor. R.. 105. 

Dwyryd Valley and Klver, 117, 102. 
□ wy-ffyfylchl iCapel Luloj. 251, 

247;"rom Conway, 248; Ml, M7; 

trom Penmaen maw r, 250. 
Dyer the Poet. 18. 
DyfTryn, 6B, 93; to Drws Ardad- 

UyfTryn Castell, 19, 49. 50. 
DvBryn fiwyn, 34, 52, 56. 
Dyfrdwy (Dee). E, 152. 159. 
Dyaerth, ITS; ca=t|, ; . 1TB; tall. 179. 
Dysynnt Valley. 57; River, 54, 58. 

Baton Hall, 16J. 
McyhiIiiii, Vale of. 146. 
- J -ird I., 58, f :a. 110, 164. 172, 244. 
_.., 286; Edward II.. 164, 266. 

Efenedityd. 148. 



K..„. hi.ddlan. 172. 

Elidyr Fach (2.564 It), a 
Elldyr Pawr (3,029 " ' "" ' 

Bethefda, 325; tt 

328; from Llyn Id 
El is eg (Ellsse), PIlli 



Ellesmere, 5. 



Drayton the Poet. 14. 

Brnsjjol .Alicr Fulls), (2,453 ft. I, 2*.'.i. 

266, 328. 
Drosgol (Bwlch-y-ddeutaen), (2,036 



?§ 



I; CaerEstya.' 



Office, 12; Casti 



Antiquarian Remains,] 



INDEX. 



{Cromlechs, Encampment*, 



Encampments — Continued. 
Castell Cawr, 193; Castell Cidwm, 
304; Castell Gronw, 151; Castell 
Odo, 109; Castell Prysor, 123, 159; 
Castell-y-bere, 58, 57; Castell -y- 
gaer, 60; Cefn Carnedd. 17; Cefn 
Crwyni, 146; Cerrig-y ddinas, 255; 
Clwydian Range, 188; Craig-y- 
ddinas, near Barmouth, 69, near 
Clynnog, 112; Cymmer Castle, 86; 
Dinas Dinlle, 112, 287; Dlnas 
Dinorwig, 270, 288, 291; Dlnas 
Mawr, 288, 291 ; Dlnas, near Llan- 
fair-fechan, 262; Dlnorben (Parc- 
y-melrch), 194; Ffridd Faldwyn, 
14; Foel, 112; Gaer (Severn), 14; 
Gaer Fawr, 12; Gorddyn Mawr, 
193; at Gresford, 124; Hen Gaer, 
38; on Holyhead Mountain, 233; 
at Llanarmon, 7; near LI an flh an- 
gel, 38; Llanilar, 44; Maes-y-gaer, 
264 ; near Moel Goedog, 101 ; Moel- 
y-gaer, near Borth, 37, near Llan- 
gollen, 135, near Northop, 164, 
■ear Ruthin, 187; Old Oswestry, 
5: Parc-y-melrch, 194; Pen Caer 
Llln, 216; Penmaen-mawr, 254; 
Pen-y-crug, 21; Pen-y ddinas, nr. 
Barmouth, 68, Llandudno, 207; 
Pen-y-gaer (Clynnog), 112; Pen-y- 
gerwyn (Pen-y-gaer), 146; Porth 
Dln-llaen, 111; near Rhuddlan, 
171; Slwch Tump, 21; Tin Sylwy 
(Bwrdd Arthur), 279; Tomen-y- 
mur, 121, 87, 159; Tomen-y-rhod- 
wy*. 134; Tre'r Ceiri, 112; True- 
man's Hill, Hawarden, 164; Welsh- 
pool Bowling Green, 12. 

Erddig, 126. 

Erw Gerrig, 141. 

Esgair Felen, 292. 

Esgairgeiliog, 33. 
i, 25. 



Esgair- wen, 
Evans's Bridge, 33. 
Ewloe Castle, 164. 
Eyarth, 146. 

Fairbourne, 60. 

Fairlie's Bogies, 113. 

Fairy Falls (Trefriw), 226. 

Fairy Glen, near Bettws-y-coed, 

Fairy Glen, near Penmaen-mawr, 

247, 251. 
Faucit, Helen, 51. 133. 
Felenryd, R.. 100, 115; falls, 115, 

100, 102, 123. 
Felin Hen, 270. 
restiniog;, 117; from Bala, 158; 

to ditto, 123; to Beddgelert, 

'Traveller'* Edition: tee List of Contents. 

[XXl¥.] 



Festl nloff — Continued. 
122; from Bettws-y-coed, 220; 
distances, 117; Falls of Cynfael, 
118; to Falls of Felenryd, 123; 
to Falls near Ty'n-y-groes, 123; 
Hugh Lloyd's Pulpit, 118; from 
Llanbedr, 97; to Maentwrog and 
Tan-y-bwlch, 120; ascent of 
Manod, 122; ditto, Moelwyn, via 
Tan-y-grislau, 122; to Tomen-y- 
mur. 120; to Trawsfynydd, 121,123. 

Ffordd Elen (see Sarn Helen). 

Ffordd Gam Elen, 7. 

Ffds Noddyn (Fairy Glen), 235. 

Ffrwd Fawr Fall, 18. 23. 

Ffrydan Flannel Factory, 158. 

Ffynnon (refer to the specific name, 
Ffynnon being the Welsh word 
for a spring, source, or well, but 
sometimes applied to lakes. Se* 
under Wells). 

Ffynnon Caseg, 330. 

Ffynnon Lloer, 328. 

Ffynnon Llyffatnt, 331. 

Fires, Mysterious, 101 

FISfllHG (•):— Aber, 264; Aberyst- 

* wyth, 40; Alyn, 124: Bala, 152; 
Barmouth, 64; Beddgelert, 308; 
Bethesda, 272; Bettws-y-coed, 230; 
Cann Office, 12; Capel Curlg, 298; 
Carnarvon, 287; Carno, 22; Cem- 
mes, 23; Corwen, 145; Criccieth, 
105; Dee, 141, 147; Dlnas Maw- 
ddwy, 24; Dolgelley, 78; Dovejt. 
23, 29, 40; Dwyryd, 117; Dysynni, 
54; Festiniog, 117; Harlech, 95, 
97; Uanbe dr, 95, 97; Llanberis, 
289; XIanM>ryn mair, 23; Llan- 
drillo, 147; Llanfair, 12; Llanfair 
Talhaiarn, 194; Llangollen, 141; 
Llan-sant-flraid, 10; Llan-y-myn- 
ech, 10; Llyn-an-afon, 259; Llyn 
Arenig, 152; Llyn Cdch Hwyad 
24; Llyn Coron, 280; Llyn 
Cwellyn, 304; Llyn Llymbran, 
152 ; Llyn Ogwen, _ 301 ; Lly m 




Pwllheli, 107 ; Rhayader, 19; Rhyl, 
170; Tal-y-llyn, 54; Tan-y-bwlch, 
114; Telfl, near Tregaron, 40; 
Towyn, 54; Vyrnwy, 10. 

Fitz-Alans, 5, 131. 

Flint, 164; castle, 164. 

Foel Ddu, 97. 

Foel Fenlli, 188. 190. 

Foel Fr&s (3,091 ft.), 328; from 
Llanfair-fechan, 263; from Pen- 
maen-mawr, 257. 



Fishing, Legend*,] 



INDEX [We8$ t etc., clawed together. 



Foel Gdch, 324. 

Foel Grach (3,195 ft.), 328, 329. 

Foel Litis d.181 ft.), 256. 

Foel Lwyd, 256. 

For den, 13. 

Foryd, 170, 191. 

Four Crosses, Oswestry, 10. 

Foxes' Path, 91. 

Friog, 72; cutting. 60. 

Fron Fawr, 136. 

Fron-g6ch, 158. 

Furnace Bridge and Fall, 38. 

Gaerwen Junction, 283. 

Gallt-faenan, 175. 

Gallt-y-foel, 237. 

Gallt-y-llyn, 75. 

Gallt-yr-Heddwch, 76. 

Gallt-y-wenallt, 312. 

Gam, David, 29. 

Ganllwyd Valley, 86, 71 

Garn (3,104ft.), 324. 

Garnedd G6ch (2,301 ft.), 309. 

Garreg " Pharos," 179. 

Garthbeibio, 12. 

Gelert, 307, 309. 

Gell, the, 105. 

Gelli G6cb, 34. 

Geological Features of Wales (*). 

George III.'s Jubilee, 48, 187. 

Gerddi Bluog, 100. 

Gerddinen Mountain, 220. 

Geugraig, 92, 75. 

Giant's Head, 65. 

Gibson, the sculptor, 245. 

Gimlet Rock, 107. 

Giraldus Cambrensis, 15, 50, 110. 

GLACIER MARKS:— Near Bar- 
mouth, 70; Cwm Bochlwyd, 303; 
Cwm Brwynog, 314; Cwm Clog- 
wyn, 319; Cwm Glas, 292; Glyder 
Fawr, 321; Llanberis Pass, 292; 
Llyfnant Valley, 32; Llyn Idwal, 
302; Llyn Llydaw, 316; Nant 
Ffrancon, 272. 

Gladstone, Mr., 163, 320; residence 
of, 163. 

Gladstone Rock, 320. 

Glanaber, 320. 

Glan Conway, 217. 

Glandovey, 32, 34. 

Glandovey Junction, 34, 51. 

Glan-llyn, 153, 159. 

Glaslyn (Machynlleth). 29. 

Glaslyn (Snowdon), 296, 316. 

Glaslyn, R., 307. 

Glaspwll, 31, 32. 

Glendower Mound, 142. 



Glendower, Owen, 4, 6. 29, 55, 83, 

89, 142, 173, 186, 287. 
Gloddaeth, 211, 212. 
Glossary (*). 
Gloywlyn, 97. 

Qlyder Fach (3,262 ft.), and 
Qlyder Fawr (3,279 ft.), 320—324; 

ascents, 321 ; from Llanberis, 291 ; 

from Ogwen, 323; descent to 

rocks above Twll Du, 322; view, 

Glyn-dyfrdwy, 133, 141, 142. 

Olyn (Llan-sant -ffraid Glyn Ceir- 

„ iog), 7, 141 ; Glyn Valley, 7, 141. 

Gobowen, 5. 

Gogarth, 205. 

Gogerddan Park, 38. 

Gold Mines, near Dolgelley, 71, 77, 
86. 

Golf Links, 16, 29, 36, 40, 51, 60, 98, 
1C7, 168, 170, 196, 204, 213, 224, 239, 
246, 281. 

Gorddyn Mawr, 193. 

Gorlan Fraith (1,332 ft), 60. 

Gorphwysfa (Pen-y-pass), 293. 

Graig Lwyd, 249. 

Graig Wen, 3C0. 

Great Orme's Head (see Llandud- 
no), 205, Ac. 

Great Wollaston Chapel, 4. 

Gresford, 124. 

Grib Gdch, 292. 293. 296, 312 (f) 
Griffith's Crossing, 276. 
Grinllom, 227. 
Groeslon Station, 287. 
Gruflydd ap Cynan, 40. 
Guilsfleld, 12. 
Gwaenynog, 182. 
Gwastadfryn, 59. 
Gwaunysgor, 177 
Gwrfai, R., 304. 
Gwrtheyrn (Vortlgern), HI. 
Gwrych Castle, 192. 
Gwyddelwern, 146. 
Gwydderig, R., 13. 
Gwyddno Garanhlr, 35, 43. 
Gwydir Castle, 223, 220. 
Gwydir Ucha and Chapel, 223. 
Gwynaut, R. f 296, 311. 
Gwynedd, Owen, 171, 268, 287. 
Gwytherin, 166. 
Gyffln, 221. 
Gym, 265. 
Gym Ddu, 112. 
Gym Goch, 112. 

Hafod, 48. 
Hafod-y-gwragedd, 241. 



'Traveller's Edition: see List of Contents. 
^Traveller's Edition : see Unfrequented Ascents of Snowdon in List of Con- 
tents. 
[Shilling Edition.] Cxxr.J 



Antiquarian Remains,'] 



INDEX. 



[Cromlechs, Encampments. 



HaJren (Severn), R., 16, 18. 

Halkin Mountain, 164. 

Happy Valley (Dyffryn Gwyn). 
Towyn, 34, 52, 56 

Harlech, 98; from Barmouth, 94; 
castle, 98; to Cwm Bychan, 99"; 
excursions and distances, 94; 
fishing, 97, 101; golf links, 98; 
to the lakes, 99, 100; to Maen- 
twrog, 101; March of Men of, 99; 
Muriau Gwyddelod, 98; Myster- 
ious Fires, 101; to Portmadoc, 
101; to Tal-sarnau and Tan-y- 
bwlch, 100; to Trawsfynydd, 101. 

Harvest hiring on Sunday, 172. 

Ha war den, 163; Station, 163. 

Heber at Wrexham, 125. 

Hell's Mouth, nr. Aber-sdch, 109. 

Hell's Mouth (Anglesey), 284. 

Hemans, Mrs., 79, 173. 

Henddol, 72. 

Hengwm, 26. 

Hengwm Farm, 112. 

Hengwrt, 85; MSS., 58. 

Henllan, 183, 175. 

Henllys, 279. 

Henry II. in Wales, 141, 144; Henry 
III. at Deganwy, 213; Henry IV. 
and Glendower, 29; Henry VII. 
at Mathafarn, 28, at Mostyn, 
167. 

Henry, Matthew, 162. 

Herberts, the, 14. 

Hesp Alun, 188, 190. 

Hiraethog Hills, 183, 239. 

Hirlas Horn, 270. 

Hirnant, 10. 

Hirnant Tunnel, 9. 

Hirnant Valley and River, 154, 152. 

Holt, 126. 

Holyhead, 281; Breakwater, 281, 
283; distances, 281; Holyhead 
Mountain, 282, 283; North Stack, 
281, 283; South Stack, 282. 

Holyhead Mountain, 282, 283. 

Holy Island, 281. 

Holywell, 165. 

Hope, 189; Exchange, 189; Mouu 
tain, 189. 

Howel Dda Inn, 157. 

Howell's School, 182. 

Huail, 185. 

Hugh Lloyd's Pulpit, 118. 

Hywel y Fwyall, 240. 

Ice Age, Remains of the (*). 
Idris, 79, 87. 

Jeffrevs. Judge. 126. 
Johnson's, Dr., Monument, 183. 



Johnson, Dr., at Bodvel, 110; at 
Denbigh, 182; at Dyserth, 176; on 
Penmaen Rhds, 195. 

Jones, Colonel, the Regicide, 96. 

Jones, Inigo, 69, 139, 222. 

Jordan, Mrs., 183. 

Jubilee Hill, 269, 288. 

Kerry, 15. 

Kill-hart. 308. 

King in Wales, 41. 

Kingsley, Charles, and the Glyders, 

320; Verses at Pen-y-gwryd, 294. 
Kinmel Park, 194. 
KIstvaen at Plas Newydd, 275. 
Knights Hospitallers, 47, 241. 

Lake Arenig, 152, 158. 

Lake of the Hounds, 291, 322. 

Lake Vyrnwy, 8, 154. 

Leet, The, 188. 

LEGENDS, TALES and VERSE :- 
Alleluia Victory, 190; Anglesey's 
(Lord) Leg, 274; Bala Lake, 151; 
Beaver's Pool, 234; Benlli Gawr, 
190; Blasted Tree, 83; Bochlwyd, 
303; Bran and his Head, and Bran- 
wen's Grave. 98— 9;Breidden Hill, 
11; Cader Idris Lakes, 90; Can- 
tref-y-gwaelod, 43; Carw Gwyn, 
145 ; Charles y Bala, 153 ; A Claim- 
ant, 210; Croesor, 334; Derfel 
Gadarn, 148; Devil's Bridge, 46; 
Dolbadarn Castle, 289; Fairy 
Fish, 145; Gelert, 307; Giantess 
at Bwlch-y-ddeufaen, 261; Gwra- 
gedd Annwn, 52; Gwylliaid 
Cochion Mawddwy, 25; Hag's 
Slide, 299; Helig's Palace, 250; 
Howel Sele\ 83; Idris, 79; Idwal, 
302; Invasion of Wales, 30; King 
March, 108; Klugsley's Verses, 
294; Leycester's Verses on Slate. 
271; Llam Trwsgwl, 305; Llangar 
Church (Carw Gwyn), 145; Lieu 
Llaw-gyffes, 121; Llyn Barfog. 52; 
Llynclys Pool, 10; Llyn Cwellyn, 
305 (see 270); Llyn Mynyllod, 147; 
Llyn-y-dywarchen. 306; Lord 
Lovafs Heir, 284; Maelgwn, 35; 
Mam Cymru, 180; Men of Ardud- 
wy, 120: Methodist Miracle, 184; 
Monacella ond the Hare, 149; 
PenrLyn Plot, 209; Pistyll 
Rhaiadr Ships, 140; Princess 
Joan and de Breos, 264; Prvce's 
(Sir John) Wives, 16; Punch on 
Wales, 285; Richard II. 's Grey- 
hound, 165; Robber's Grave, 13; 
Robin Ddu's Prediction, 273; 



traveller's Edition: t*e List of Contents. 
[xxvl.] 



Puking, Legend*,] 



tNl)E&. [#"#&#, etc., dated together. 



Legends, etc.— Continued. 
Roodee, Origin of, 164; Rothesay 
Castle, Wreck of, 279; Sabrina, 15; 
Scott's Shepherd's Tale, 322; 
Seiriol the Bright and Cybi the 
Dirk, 233; Seithermin the Drun- 
kard, 43; Shenkin'8 Cave, 218; A 
Shrewsbury Fraud, 2; St. Bride, 
212, 213; St. Winefride, 165; 
Taliessin, Birth of, 35; Three 
Pebbles of Idris, 88; Three 
Sabbath -breakers, 253; Three 
Stones of Borth, 36; Vortigern 
(Beddgelert), 310; Walking 
Steeple, 167; Weeping Ness, 250; 
Ychain Bannog, 23, 234; Yellow 
Plague,210; Y Fuwch Gyfeiliorn,52. 
Leigh ton Church, 13. 
Liberty Hall, 144, 141. 
Little Orme's Head, 200, 209. 
Liverpool Waterworks, 8, 154. 
Lladron Brook, 158. 
Llafar, R., nr. Bala, 152. 
Llafar, R., nr. Bethesda, 329. 
Llanaber, 66, 67. 
Llanaelhaiarn, 112. 
Llanallgo, 279. 

Llanarmon Dyffryn Celriog, 7, 141. 
Llanbabo, 284. 
Llanbadarn Fawr, 41. 
Llanbadrig Church, 284. 
Llanbeblig, 287. 
Llanbedr and Pen-sarn Sta., 94. 
Llanbedr, near Harlech, 94, 95; 
from Barmouth, 93; to Cwm 
Bycban, Roman Steps, &c, 95; 
distances, 94; to Dolgelley, 
Trawsfynydd, and Festiniog, 97; 
fishing, 97; to Harlech, 98. 
Llanbedr (Vale of Clwyd), 187. 
Llanbedr (Vale of Conway), 216. 
Llanbedrog, 108; Hill, 108. 
Llanberis, 288; to Bethesda, 291; 
distances and excursions, 288; 
Dolbadarn Castle, 289; ascent of 
Elidyr. 324; FaU, 290, 313; Glyder 
Fawr, 291; from Llyn Idwal and 
Ogwen, 302, 303; to ditto, 291; 
ascent of Moel Eilio (t); Old 
and New Llanberis, 289; up the 
Pass to Pen-y-gwryd, 291; quar- 
ries, 289; ascent of Snowdon, 313, 
290; Snowdon Railway, 312; to 
Snowdon Ranger and Llyn Cwe- 
Uyn, 290; to Twll Du, 291; to Y 
Garn, 291, 324. 
Llanberis, Old, 291, 292; church 
and well, 292; Pass, 292. 



Llan-bryn-malr, 23, 18. 

Llancynfelyn, 38. 

Llandanwg, 94. 

Llanddeinlolen, 291. 

Llandderf el, 147 ; to Llangynog and 
Pennant, 148. 

Llanddona, 279. 

Llanddwyn Island, 280. 

Llanddwywe Church, 69. 

Llandecwyn Church, 100. 

Llandegai, 270. 

Llandegla, 135. 

Llandinam, 17. 

Llandrillo, near Corwen, 147, 7; 
ascent of Cader Fronwen, 147; 
from and to Pistyll Rhaiadr, 7, 
147. 

Llandrillo-yn-Rhds, 200, 210. 

Llandrlndod Wells, 21. 

Llandudno, 201; ancient remains 
discovered in cave, 205; antiqui- 
ties of, 205, 206; to Bangor, 247; 
to Bettws-y-coed and Capel Curig, 
217; Bodafon, 213; Bodysgallen, 
214; botanical ramble (*); Bryn 
Euryn, 210, 200; Bryn Maelgwn. 
212; caves, 208; to Colwyn 
Bay, 209; to Conway Valley, 216; 
cromlech, 206; Deganwy, 212; 
distances and excursions, 201; 
Eglwys Rh6s, 210; to Festiniog, 
217; to Gloddaeth, 211; Gogarth, 
205; Golf Links, 204; Grand- 
mother's Chair, 211 ; Great Orme's 
Head, 205, 206; Happy Valley, 
204; Hwylfa'r Ceirw, 207; Little 
Orme's Head. 209; to Llandrillo, 
209; to Llanrwst, 217; Lletty 
Fadog, 207; to Llyn Dulyn, 214; 
lodgings, &c, 204; Marl, 214; to 
Pabo Hill, 213; to Penmaen- 
mawr, 213, 247; Pen-y-ddinas, 
207; to Porth-lwyd Fall, 214; 
Promenade Pier, 204; from Rhyl, 
191: to Snowdon, 203; St. Trillo's 
Well, 210; St. Tudno's Church, 
207; Sychnant Pass, 248; Tower 
on Bryniau, 212; to Trefriw, by 
steamer, 216; waterworks, 203, 21ft. 
Llandudno Junction, 191, 214. 
Llandulas, 195. 
Llandwrog, 112, 287. 
Llandyrnog Church, 185. 
Llandysilio Church, 274. 
Llanedwen, 275. 
Llanegryn, 58. 
Llaneilian, Anglesey, 279. 
Llanelian (Colwyn Bay), 198. 



traveller's Edition: see List of Conted Ascents of Snowdon tn List of 
^Traveller's Edition: see {Infrequent ents. _ ., _ 

Contents. fxxviU 



Antiquarian Hemains,] 



INDEX. 



[Cremhehi, Encampment*. 



Llanelldan Church, 146. 

Llanelltyd, 76, 82, 85. 

Llanelwy, 173. 

Llanenddwyn, 68. 

Llanengan, 109. 

Llanerch-y-medd, 283. 

Llanerfyl, 12. 

Llanfachreth, 84. 

Llanfaes, 278. 

Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, 146. 

Llanfair-fechan, 258; to Aber 
Falls, 263; to Ancient Grave and 
Dlnas, 262; to Bangor, 248; ascent 
of Carnedd Llewelyn, 263; Car- 
reg Fawr, 259; distances, 258; to 
Druids' Circle, 260; ascent of 
Foel Fras, 263; to Llyn-an-afon, 
259; ascent of Penmaen-mawr, 
259; to Penmaen-mawr town by 
Druids* Circle, 260; to Sychnant 
Pass over the hills, 260; to Tal-v- 
cafn by Bwlch-y-ddeufaen, 261; 
to Tal-y-fan, 263; to the Three 
Streams, 261. 

Llanfair-mathafarn-elthaf, 279. 

Llanfair, near Harlech, 98. 

Llanfair, near Welshpool, 10, 12. 

Llanfair Pwll Gwyngyll, 275, 276, 
280. 

Llanfair Talhaiarn, 194. 

Llanfechell, 284. 

Llannhangel, nr. Aberystwyth, 37, 
38. 

Llanflhsngel Tin Sylwy, 279. 

Llannnangel-y-peniiani, near Cric- 
cieth, 105, 307, 336. 

Llanflhangel-y-pennant, nr. Towyn, 
58, 57; from Abergynolwyn, 57; to 
Barmouth, 74; to Cader Idris, 
59. 

Llanfihangel-y-Traethau, 102. 

Llanfwrog, 146. 

Llanfyllln, 8. 

Llangadwaladr Church, 280. 

Llangar Church, 145. 

Llangedwyn Hall, 6. 

Llangefni, 283. 

Llangelynin Old Church, 255, 247. 

Llangelynin (Towyn), 60. 

Llangernyw, 194. 

Llangian, 109. 

Llangollen, 128; to Bala, 142; 
Barber's Hill, 136; to Berwyn 
and Llantysilio, 133; Bryniau 
Hill, 137; Bwlch Rhiw Felen, 
134; from Chirk, 140; to Chirk, 
138; to Corwen, 142; Crow Castle 
(Dinas Bran), 130; Cyrn-y -brain, 
134; distances and excursions, 
128; Eglwyseg Rocks, 136; Eli- 
seg's Pillar, 132; fishing, 141; to 

tSEVlll.j * 



Liang ol ten— Continued. 
Fron Fawr, 136; to Glyn, 141; to 
Glyn-dyfrdwy, 133, 142; Grouse 
Box, 137; Ladies of, 129; Lady of, 
131 ; Moel-y-gamelin, 135, 134 ; 
Moel Fferna, 141; Moel Forfydd, 
135; Pengwern Hall, 138; Pen-y- 
coed, 138; Plas Newydd, 129; 
Pont-y-cyssylltau, 138, 128; to 
Ruthin, 133; Snowdonia, view of, 
137, 134; Valle Crucis Abbey, 131; 
Viaduct, 127; Vivod, 138; World's 
End, 135, 136, 134. 

Llangorse Lake, 21. 

Llangorwen Church, 40. 

Llangower, 154. 

Llangurig Church, 19. 

Llangybi, 112. 

Llangynog, 6, 8, 147, 149. 

Llangwyfan (Anglesey), 280. 

Llangwyfan (Vale of Clwyd), 184, 
185. 

Llangynhafal, 185. 

Llanidan (Anglesey), 275. 

Llanidloes, 17: to Aberystwyth 
and Devil's Bridge, 19; to Brecon, 
19; to Machynlleth, 18; to Plyn- 
limmon, 18; Source of Severn, 18. 

Llaniestyn Church, 279. 

LI an 11 ar 44 

Llanrhaiadr (Vale of Clwyd),184,185. 

Llanrhaiadr-yn-mochnant, 6, 8, 141. 

Llan Rh6s, 210. 

Llanrhudd, 146. 

Llanrhychwyn Church, 225, 226. 

Llanrwst, 221, 218; to Bettws-y- 
coed, 218, 223; to Capel Curig. 
227; church, 222; distances and 
excursions, 221; Gwydir, 223; to 
the lakes, 224, 226, 228; from Llan- 
dudno, 217 ; to Tref riw, 222. 

Llansannan; 183, 184, 239; Falls 
near, 239, 184. 

Llan-sant-ffraid Glan Conwy, 217. 

Llan-sant-ffraid Glyn Celriog, 7, 141. 

Llan-sant-ffraid Glyn Dyfrdwy, 143. 

Llan-sant-ffraid (Oswestry), 10. 

Llansilin, 5. 

Llantysilio Church, 133. 

Llanuwchllyn, 154, 156, 159; from 
Dinas Mawddwy, 26; to ditto, 
155; to Trawsfynydd, 155. 

Llanwddyn submerged, 9. 

Llanwnda, 288, 287; to Dinas Din- 
lie, 113. 

Llanwnog, 22. 

Llanwrin, 28. 

Llan-y-blodwel, 6 

Llanychaiarn, 42. 
I Llanychan Church, 18S. 
ILlan-y-cil Church, 153. 



Pithing, Legend*,] 



tKbSJt. iWeUs, etc., dotted togetktr. 



Llan-y-mawddwy, 26, 155. 
Llan-y-mynech, 10; Rock, 10. 
Llanynys, 184; Yew Tree, 185 
Llanystumdwy, 104. 
Llawllech, 65, 68, 71. 
LlSch Idris maen-hlr, 87. 
Llechog, 312. 
Lledr Valley, 219, 238; River, 236. 

238. 
Llefn, 266. 
Llethr (2,475 ft.), 71. 
Llewelyn, Princes, 57, 225, 241, 243, 

264. 
Llewelyn's Tower, 264. 
Llewenni, 180. 

Lleyn, Promontory of, 64, 108. 
Llidiart-y-Barwn, 12, 26. 
Llithfaen, 111. 
Lliw, R., 155, 152. 
Lliwedd (Snowdon) (2,947 ft.), 296, 

312. 
Lloer, R., 328. 

Lloyd, Dean, 17; Evan, 153. 
Llugwy, R., 230, 233, 298, 301. 
Llwybr Cam Rhedynen, 74. 
Llwybr Elen (Sam Elen), 149. 
Llwyd ap Llewelyn, David, 28. 
Llwyd, Humphrey, 184. 
Llwydiarth Park, 284. 
Llwydmor, 263. 
Llwyn-gwril, 60, 72. 
Llwyn-y-gwaew reservoir, 216. 
Llyferin, 108. 
Llyfnant Valley and River, 31, 

32, 44; Falls, 32. 
Llyfni, R., 112. 
Llyn Aled, 183, 239. 
Llyn Alwen, 183, 239. 
Llyn-an-afon, from Aber, 267; from 

Llanfair-fechan, 259. 
Llyn Aran, 92. 
Llyn Arenig, 158, 152. 
Llyn Bach, 88. 
Llyn Barfog, 52, 56. 
Llyn Bochlwyd, 303, 323. 
Llyn Bodgynwydd (Bod), 298. 
Llyn Bodlyn, 69. 
Llyn Bodric, 280. 
Llyn Bugeilyn, 29. 
Llyn By chan, 300. 
Llyn Caerwych, 97, 101. 
Llynclys, 6; Pool, 10. 
Llyn Coch, 319. 

Llyn C6ch Hwyad (see Errata), 24. 
Llyn Conwy, 240. 
Llyn Coron, 280. 
Llyn Corwrion, 270. 
Llyn Cowlyd, 228; from Capel 

Curig, 299; from Trefriw, 228. 
Llyn Crafnant, 224: from Capel 

Curig, 298; from Llanrwst, 226; 

from Trefriw, 224. 



Llyn C we llyn, 304, 308; from Car- 
narvon, 304; from Llanberis, 280 

Llyn Cwm Bychan, 96, 100. 

Llyn Cwm Flynnon, 321. 293. 

Llyn Cwm Mynach, 71, 72. 

Llyn Cwm Orthin, 309. 

Llyn Cwm Ystrallyn, 308. 

Llyn Cynwch, 82. 

Llyn Cyri, 75. 

Llyn Du, near Carno, 22; near 
Llanbedr, 97, 101. 

Llyn Dubach, 119. 

Llyn Dulyn, near Barmouth, 70, 71 

Llyn Dulyn, nr. Vale of Conway. 
216, 263; from Tal-y-cafn, 216. 

Llyn Du'r Arddu, 314. 

Llyn Dwythwch, 290. 

Llyn Dywarchen, nr. Harlech, 101 

Llyn Edno, 334, 308. 

Llyn Eiddew Bach, 101, 97. 

Llyn Eiddew Mawr, 101, 97. 

Llyn Eigiau, 299, 331. 

Llyn Elsi f 231. 

Llyn Faelog, 280. 

Llyn Ffynnon-y-gwas, 308, 319. 

Llyn Gafr, 91. 

Llyn Qeirionydd, 225; from 
Bettws-y-coed, 238; from Capel 
Curig, 299; from Llanrwst and 
Trefriw, 224, 226. 

Llyn Glas, 308. 

Llyn Gloywlyn, 97 

Llyn Goddion Duon. 300. 

Llyn Gwernan, 89, 91. 

Llyn Gwynant, 311, 308; from Dol- 
wyddelan, 243. 

Llyn Helig, 178. 

Llyn Howel (Cwm Howel), 97, 71; 
from Penmaen-pool, 72. 

Llyniau Creigenen, 73. 

Llyniau Cwn (nr. Cnicht), 308, 334. 

Llyniau Mymbyr (Capel Curig), 
298. 

Llyniau-y-gamallt, 120. 

Llyn Idwal, 302, 291, 322-324; from 
Llanberis, 291; to ditto, 303. 

Llyn Irddyn, 69. 

Llyn Llagi, 308. 

Llyn Llugwy, 301, 327, 328. 

Llyn Llydaw, 295, 316. 

Llyn Llvgad Rheidol, 18. 49, 39 

Llyn Llymbian, near Bala Lake, 
152, 155. 

Llyn Llymbran, near Denbigh, 183 

Llyn Llyncaws, 6. 

Llyn Mawr, 22. 

Llyn Mynyllod, 147. 

Llyn Ogwen, 301, 291, 323, 328; 
from Bethesda, 272; from Capel 
Curig, 501; from Llanberis, 291; 
to ditto, 302; from Pen-y-gwryd, 
297; to ditto, 303. 

[xxix n 



Antiquarian Remain*,] 



n,n F 

Hvn 7' 

I.lyi: S: 



Tegld (Bala). ': 
Teyrn, 295. 



Llyn-y-ddinaa, 311, i 
Llyn-y-dyv.arr.heD, e 
gelert 306, 308. 



Llyn-y-fedw, 101. 
Llyn-y-foel. 300. 
Llyny-tran, 71. 
Llyn-y-Gader (Cader Idrls), 91 
Llyn-y-gadei, nr. Bedd gelert, 

Llyn-y-goeden, 300. 
Llyn y-manod, 132. 



Llysfaen, 191. 195. 
Llysfaen Tel 
Lodge Park, 



ph. IBS, IBS 

?, IBS. 190. 

118. 152. 



!S. {Crtrmltcht, Xntamymtntt, 

Maontwroe, 114; from Bala, 139; 
to BeddaeTert, 114; from Dal- 
gellcy 67; to Festlnlog, 116; 

Meeniwrog 'Road Station, 116, 121, 

123, 87, 159. 
Maes Garnion, 190 



Minllwyd, 24, 12. 

Malpas, 9. 

Mam Cymrn, 180. 

Manod Bach, 122. 

Ms nod Mawr .2.166 ft. 

Manod Station, 122. 

Map*— See separate Hat 

Marchlyn Mawr and Bat 

Marc hn ant, R., 9. 

Marchwiel, 128. 

Marl. 214. 

Harrington Dingle, 13 

Martin, Sir T., 133. 

Mathrafal,' 
Mawddaclj 
Mpifod, 10. 
Mt.nl n... e 
Mel id en, 178. 



Estuary, 62, 75 i 



Melynllyn, 216. 

Mcnai Bridge, 273; lUtlc 

276, 279. 
Menal Straits, 273. Ac. 
Meres, Breaking of the, 5. 
Merlin Ambroelus, 310. 



Miner a, 136. 
SlipiTs' bridge, 232. 
*"" Tordd Junction, 113. 102 
~ " y-Hyn), 34, I 



Minffor 

Moat La no, 

22. 
Mound re and 



; to Aberystwytb. 
o Station, 200, 191. 



Moel Berfedd, 321. 

Moel Cynghorlon (Snowdon), 312. 

Moel Cynwoh. 82; walk round, 88 

Moel lllnas, 25. 

Mosl Eillo (anowdon), 312. 

Moel Elllo (Vale of Conway), JSL 

Moel Emoel, 191. 



Pithing, Legend*,] 



INDEX. {WeUi, etc., dotted together 



Moel Faban, 266. 

Moel Fammau (1,823 ft.), 187; as- 
cent, 186; from Mold, 188; from 

Rhyd-y-mwyn, 190; from Ruthin, 

186. 
Moel Fferna (2,070 ft.), 141, 144. 
Moel Forfydd (1,804 ft.), 135. 
Moelfre Bay, 279. 
Moelfre Isaf (1,037 ft.), 194. 
Moelfre, nr. Barmouth (1,894 ft.), 

70. 
Moelfre (Penmaen-mawr), 253. 
Moel Frith, 155. 
Moel Goch, 290, 312. 
Moel Goedog (1,211 ft.), 101. 
Moel Hebog (2,566 ft.), 335; from 

Criccieth, 105; to Criccieth, 336. 
Moel Hiraddug, 176, 189. 
Moel Ispri, 76. 
Moel Meirch, 334. 
Moel Morfydd (see Forfydd). 
Moel Offrwm, 84. 
Moel Penamnen, 241. 
Moel Seniffl (1,019 ft.), 100. 70. 
Moel Siabod (2,860 ft.), 332; from 

Capel Curig and Pen-y-gwryd, 

332; from Dolwyddelan, 333; from 

Pont-y-cyfyng, 332. 
Moel Sych (2,713 ft.), 7, 147. 
Moel Tryfan, 304. 
Moel Wnion (1,902 ft.). 266. 328. 
Moelwyn (2,527 ft.), 122, 333; from 

Beddgelert and Tan-y-bwlch, 334; 

from Tan-y-grisiau, 335; view, 335 
Moel-y-ci-du (Pen Helyg), 331. 
Moel-y-don, 275. 
Moel-y-faen, 134. 
Moel-y-gaer (Bodfartt, 189 
Moel-y-gaer, nr. Berth (1,377 ft .), 37. 
Moel-y-gaer, nr. Llangollen, 135. 
Moel-y-gaer (near Moel Fammau), 

187 188 
Moel-y-aramelin (1,897 ft.), 135. 

134. 
Moel-y-geifr (2,054 ft.), 154. 
Moel-y-geraint, 136. 
Moel-y-gcst, 103, 105. 
Moel-y-golfa, 4, 11. 
Moel-yr-Abbey, 133. 
Moel-y-senicl, 100, 70. 
Mold, 189; to Moel Fammau, 188; 

from Ruthin, 187. 
Montgomery, 13; castle, 14. 
Morfa By chan, 101. 
Morfa Nevin, 111. 
Morfa Rhuddlan, 171. 
Morgan, Bishop, 173, 239. 
Morgan, Dr., 6. 
Morris, Hugh, 141. 
Morris, Lewis, 41. 
Mostyn, 167, 179. 
Mountain Ascents, 311—338. 



Mountain Heights, xxxTiii. 
Muriau Gwyddelod, 98. 
Mwd, The, 264. 
Mwnwgl-y-llyn Bridge, 152. 
Mwyar Berwyn, 147. 
Myddelton, Sir Hugh, 35. 
Myddelton, Sir T., 14, 140. 
Myfanwy Vychan, 131. 
Mynach.R., and Falls, 47. 
Mynydd Deulyn, 238. 
Mynydd Llanbedr. 97. 
Mynydd Mawr (2,250 ft.), 304. 
Mynydd Moel, 92, 75. 
Mynydd Nodol, 120. 
Mynydd Perfedd, 272, 326. 
Mynydd Tir-y-cwmmwd, 108. 
Mynydd-y-twr, 282. 
Mynytho, 109. 

Mytton, General, 140, 163, 171, 186. 
244, 277. 

Nanhoron, 108, 109. 

Nanmor, 308. 

Nannau, 83. 

Nannerch, 191. 

Nantclwyd, 146. 

Nantcol, R., 95, 97. 

Nant Dywyll, 199. 

Nant Ffrancon, 272, 301. 

Nant-garreg-ddu, 197, 201. 

Nantglyn, 183. 

Nant Gwyllt, 19, 20. 

Nant Gwrtheyrn, 111. 

Nant Gwynant, 311. 

Nantlle, 3C6; Lakes, 306; to Rhyd- 

ddu and Snowdon Ranger, 306. 
Nant Mill, 304; Fall, 304 
Nant Trystion, R., and Falls, 145. 
Nant-y-barcut, 156. 
Nant-y-glyn (Nant-y-groes), 197. 
Nant-y-gwryd, 293. 
Nant-y-llyn, 6. 
Nelson's Statue, 280. 
Nennius, 111. 
Nevin, 111; from Chwilog, 111; 

from Pwllheli, 110. 
Newborough, 280. 
Newmarket, 177; Cop, 177. 
Newtown, 16. 
Newydd Fynyddog, 23. 
Nithsdale's (Lord) Escape, and 

Grace Evans, 12. 
Xorthop, 164. 

O'Connell, Daniel, 129. 

Offa's Dyke, 126, 140, 168. 

Ogof, Yr 192* 

Ogwen' (Cottage and Lake), 301, 
273; to Carnedd Dafydd, 328; to 
the Glyders, 323; from Pen-y- 
gwryd, 321; to ditto, 303; to Try- 
fan, 323. 

[xxxi.J 



Antiquarian Remaint,] 



INDEX. 



{Cromieehi, Bncampment$ t 



Ogwen, R.> 270, 301; Falls, 272, 301. 
Old Meredith, 306. 
On and off the Cambrian, 1—124. 
Orme's Head, Great \678 ft.), 205, 206 
Ostorius, 11, 17. 
Oswald, King, 5; Well of. 5. 
Oswestry, 5 ; to Bala, 6 ; to Pis- 
tyll Rhaiadr, 5, 6; to Vyrnwy, 5, 8. 
Overton, 126. 
Owen, Aneurin, 183. 
Owen, Baron Lewis, 25. 
Owen Glendower (see Glendower). 
Owen, Goionwy, 268, 279. 
Owen Gwynedd, 6, 134, 144. 
Owen, Robert, 16. 
Owen, Sir John, Story of, 106. 

Fabo Hill, 214. 

Padarn, St., 41, 42. 

Pale, 149. 

Palmerston Quarries, 116. 

Pandy Melln Deirw, 141. 

Pandy Mill, near Bettws y-coed, 
236; Fall, 236. 

Pandy Mill, near Dolgelley, 89. 

Pandy'r Odyn, 89. 

Panorama Walk, 65. 

Pant-asa, 167. 

Pant Einion, and Falls, 72. 

Pant-glas, 112. 

Faut-glas Station, 309. 

Pant-y-gwae, 178. 

Pant-yr-afon, 220. 

Pared Mawr, 109. 

Pared-y-cefn-hir, 73. 

Parliament House, 282. 

Parnell the Poet, 162. 

Parr, Old, 4. 

Parson's Bridge, 48. 

Parys Mountain. 284. 

Pass of Llanberis, 291. 

Paternus (Padarn), St., 41 

Pemblemere (Bala), 151. 

Pen Caer Gybi, 282. 

Pen Caer Llln, 216. 

Pen Dlnas, 42. 

Pen-dre, 56. 

Pen Helyg (Moel-y-ci-du), 331. 

Pen-gam (1,504 ft.), 73. 

Pen-glais Hill. 40. 

Peniartb, 58. 

Pen-llithriff-y-wrach &621 ft.), 
331, 299. 328: 

Penllyn, 151. 

Penmachno. 239, 241. 

Penmaenan, 249. 

Penmaen-bach, 246. 

Penmaen-mawr, 248; to Bwlch- 
y-ddeufaen, 257; to Carnedd Llew- 
elyn, 257; to Conway, 250; dis- 



Penmaen-mawr- Continued. 
tanoes and excursions, 248; to 
Druids' Circle, 252; to Dwy-gyfyl- 
chi and Fairy Glen, 250; Foel 
Fras, 257; to Foel Llus, 256; Green 
Gorge, 252; Jubilee Walk, 257; to 
Llanfair-fechan, by the Druids' 
Circle, 254, by rail, 248; to Llan- 
gelynin Old Church, 255; to Mae n- 
y-campiau, 256; to Penmaen- 
bach, 249; Penmaen-mawr, as- 
cents of, 254; to Ro-wen and Tal- 
y-cafn, 255; to Tal-y-fan, 256; 
Weeping Ness, 250, 251. 

Penmaen - mawr Mountain 
(1,550 ft.), 254; ascent from Llan- 
fair-fechan, 259; descent to ditto, 
255; ascent from Penmaen-mawr, 
254; descent to ditto, 260; view, 
255. 

Penmaen-pooi, 76, 89; from Bar- 
mouth, 64, 75; from Dolgelley, 89, 
160; from Precipice Walk, 82. 

Penmaen Rhds, 195, 198. 

Penmon Lighthouse, 278. 

Penmon Priory, 278. 

Penmorfa, 103. 

Penmynydd Tudor Chapel, 280. 

Pennal, 34, 52. 

Pennant (Llan-bryn-mair), 23. 

Pennant Melangell, 149. 

Pennant, Thos.. 167, 179. 

Pen Porchell, 184. 

Pen Rhiw Ddolion. 238. 

Penrhyn Castle, 270. 

Penrhyn-deudraeth, 102. 

Penrhyn Du, 108. 

Penrhyn (Llandudno), 209. 

Penrhyn Mawr, 283. 

Penrhyn, near Borth, 52. 

Penrhyn Quarries, 271. 

Pen-earn, near Abergele, 1S1; tc 
ancient encampments, 193, 194; tc 
Bodelwyddan, 194; to Cefn Caves, 
194; to Colwyn Bay, 191; di? 
tances and excursions, 191; 
Gwrych Castle, 192; Llysfaen and 
Penmaen Rhds, 195: to Moelfrc 
Isaf, 194; from Rhyl, 170; to St 
George and St. Asaph, 193. 194. 

Pen-sarn, near Harlech, 94, 70. 

Pentir, 269, 288. 

Pentraeth, 279. 

Pentre-dwr, 136. 

Pentrehobyn, 189. 

Pentrevoelas, 146, 183, 239. 

Pen Trum Gwr, 60. 

Pen-y-bont-fawr. 10. 

Pen-y-castell, 257. 

Pen-y-cloddiau, 186. 



[suit.] 



Fishing, Legends,] 



INDEX. IWeUt, etc., daseed together. 



Pen-y-cyfflnlau, 309. 

Pen-y-ddinas, 68. 

Pen-y-ffordd, 189. 

Pen-y-gader (Vale of Conway), 257. 

Pen-y-gaer (Aber-s6ch), 109. 

Pen-y-gaer (Clvnnog), 112. 

Pen-y-gaer (via Corwen), 148. 

Pen-y-groes, near Carnarvon, 288, 
306, 309, 112; near Dolgelley, 80. 

Pen-y-srwryd, 293; from Bedd- 
gelert, 310; to Capel Curig, 297; 
coaches, 293; distances and ex- 
cursions, 293; from Dolwyddelan, 
242; to ditto, 296; Klngslev's 
Verses, 294; from Llanberis, 291; 
to Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn, 295; 
to Ogwen, 297; from ditto, 303; 
ascent of Snowdon, 316. 

Pen-y-parc, 277. 

Pen-y-pass (Gorphwysfa), 293, 
295, 316. 

Pen-y-pigyn, 144. 

Pen-yr-allt, 231. 

Pen-yr-oleu-wen, 330. 

Pen-y-wylfa, 37. 

Perthi Chwareu Caves, 135. 

Pig-street, 109. 

Pimblemere (Bala Lake), 151. 

Piozzi, Mrs., 79. 110, 175, 185; (Mrs 
Thrale), 182, 195. 

Pistyll, 111. 

Pistyll Cain, 86; from Trawsfyn- 
ydd, 123 ; to Trawsf ynydd, 87. 

Pistyll Cim, 108. 

Pistyll Rhaiadr, 5, 6, 141, 147; to 
Bala, 6; from Llanfyllin, 8; to 
and from Llandrillo, 7, 147; from 
Oswestry, 5, 6; to and from Vyr- 
nwy, 7, 8. 

Pistyll Khyd-y-maingcau, 154. 

Pistyll-y-llyn, 32. 

Pitt's Head Rock, 160, 305, 318. 

Plantation of the Peace, 76. 

Plas Berw, 283. 

Plas Newydd (Anglesey), 275. 

Plas Newydd (Llangollen), 129. 

Plas Penmynydd, 280. 

Plynlimmon (2,469 ft.), 49; from 
Aberystwyth, 49; from Devil's 
Bridge, 49; descent to Dyffryn 
Casteil, 50; from Llanidloes, 18; 
from Machynlleth, 32; from 
'Steddfa Gurig, 19; view from, 49 

Point Lynas, 279. 

Point of Ayr, 168. 

Pont Aberarlaslyn, 310, 309, 114, 
123; from Portmadoc, 104, 103. 

Pont-ar-Afon-Gam, 119, 169. 

Pont-ar-Fynach (Devil's Bridge), 

Pont-d61-gdch, 22. 



Pont Erwyd, 48, 46, 32. 

Pont Fadog, 7. 

Pont Fathew, 57. 

Pont Llanafan, 49. 

Pont Lliw, 154. 

Pont Newydd, 265. 259, 267; near ft*. 

Asaph, 174. 
Pont Rhyd-ddu (see Rhyd-dduj. 
Pont-rhyd-fendigaid, 45. 
Pont-rhyd-y-benilig. 105. 
Pont-rhyd-y-groes, 49. 
Pont Rhythallt, 288; from Bangor, 

270. 
Pont Rug, 288. 
Pont-y-cyfyng, 233, 242, 298; Fall 

at, 233. 
Pont-y-cyssylltau Aqueduct, 128, 

138. 
Pont-y-garth. near Capel Curig. 

298 324. 
Pont-y-garth, nr. Towyn, 58. 
Pont-y-glyn Fall, 148. 
Pont-y-gromlech, 292. 
Pont-y-Gwr-Drwg (Devil's Bridge). 

46. 
Pont-y-meiblon, 141. 
Pont-y-pair, 230. 
Pont-y-pant, 238, 219. 
Pont-y-pennant, 27. 
Pont-yr-allt, 174. 
Pont Ysgethin, 76. 
Pool Quay, 10. 
Port Dinorwic, 276; from Anglesey, 

275. 
Porthamel, 275. 
Porth Ceiriad, 109. 
Porth Dafarch, 283. 
Porth Dinllaen, 111. 
Porth-lwyd Bridge, 215, 221: 

rail, 215, 217, 299, 331; to Carnedd 

Llewelyn, 331. 
Porth-lwyd, R„ 215. 
Porth Neugwl (Hell's Mouth), 109. 
Porth -y-gwyd del, 283. 
Portmadoc, 103; toBardsey, 104; 

to Beddgelert, 309, 104; to Cric- 

cieth, 103, 104; distances, 103; to 

Festiniog, 113. 
Powis Castle, 11. 
Powys Fadog, History of, 19. 
Powys, Princes of, 10, 136. 
Precipice Walk (from Dolgelley), 

81; to Penmaen-pool, 82; to Ty F n- 

y-groes, 82. 
Prestatyn, 168, 176. 
Prlestholm (Puffin Island), 278. 
Prys, Archdeacon, 100, 115. 
Prysor, R., 123. 
Puffin Island, 278, 258. 
Pughe, William Owen, 183. 
Pumrhyd, R., 26. 

[xxxiil.3 



Antiquarian Remain*,] 



INDEX. 



[Cromlechi, Encampments, 



Pwllheli, 106; to Aberdaron, 109: 
to Bardsey, 110; distances and 
excursions, 106; Golf Links, 107; 
to Nevin, 110; to the Rivals, 110. 

Quakers' Burial Ground, 60. 

Queen Victoria in Wales,129, 149, 277 

Queen's Ferry, 164. 

Railway Routes to Wales, 1. 

RAILWAYS:— Bala to Festiniog, 
158; Cambrian, 1, 5, 10; Carnar- 
von to Afon-wen, 288; Carnarvon 
and Llanberis, 288; Chester to 
Holyhead. 164; Chester to Mold 
and Denbigh, 189; Corris, 33; Fes- 
tiniog. 113; Glyn Valley, 7, 139, 
141; Great Western, 1, 117, 124; 
Llandudno to Bettws-y coed and 
Festiniog, 217; Llanfyllin Branch, 
8; London and North-Western, 1, 
5, 164 ; London to Wales, 1 ; Man- 
chester and Milford, 19, 44 ; Maw- 
ddwy [temporarily closed], 
24; North Wales Narrow 
Gauge, 104, 160, 304; Ruthin and 
Corwen, 146; Shrewsbury and 
Welshpool, 4; Snowdon, 312; Tal- 
y-llyn, 56; Vale of Clwyd, 180, 
185; Wrexham and Ellesmere, 126; 
Wrexham, Mold and Denbigh, 
126, 189. 

Ramsay's (Sir Andrew) Old Glaciers 
of North Wales. 292. 

Raven Fall, 115; from Festiniog, 
123; to Maentwrog Road, 116. 

Red Wharf Bay, 279; from Bangor, 
267; name, 251. 

Rhaladr Cwm, 119, 159. 

Rhaiadr Dibyn Mawr, 112. 

Rhaladr Du (Maentwrog), 115; 
from Festiniog, 123 ; to Maentwrog 
Road, 116. 

Rhaiadr Du (Ty'n-y-groes), 86, 72. 

Rhaladr Mawddach, 86; from 
Trawsfynydd, 123; to Trawsfyn- 



ydd, 87. 
Rht 



laiadr Mawr, 184, 239; see (Porth- 
lwyd), 215, &c. 

Rhaiadr-y-parc, 226. 

Rhaiadr-y-wennol (Swallow Fall), 
233, 234. 

Rhayader, 19; from and to Cwm 
Elan, 20. 

Rheldol, R., 47, 18; Fall, 47. 

Rhewl, 185, 187. 

Rhinog Fach (2,333 ft.), ascent. 71. 

Rhino? Fawr (2,362 ft.), ascent, 97. 

Rhiw, near Aberdaron, 109; Moun- 
tain, 109. 

Rhlwaedog, 154. 

Rhlw-argor, 154 

GcxxiY.l 



Rhiwarth Valley, 149. 

Rhiwlas 149. 

Rhobell'Fawr (2,408 ft.), ascent, 84. 

Rhoscolyn, 280. 

Rhds Trillo (near Colwyn Bay), 199 r 
209. 

Rhos-y-ffwaliau, 154. 

Rhuddlan, 171; castle, 171; Priory, 
171. 

Rhun, 211, 215. 

Rhyd-ddu, 305, 160; to Beddgelert, 
305; from Criccieth, 105; to Crlc- 
cieth, 306; from Nantlle, 306; 
from Portmadoc, 104; ascent of 
Snowdon, 318. 

Rhyd Dibenwch, 19. 

Rhyd Ucha, 158. 

Rhyd Whimman, 14. 

Rhyd-y-fen, 120. 

Rhyd-y-groes, 14. 

Rhyd-y-mwyn, 187, 188, 190. 

Rhyd-yr-onen, 55. 

Rhyl, 168; Bodelwyddan, 172; to 
ditto, 170; to Cefn Caves, 174, 
from Corwen, 146; to Den- 
bigh and Ruthin, 180, 185; dls 
tances and excursions, 168, 170 • to 
Dyserth. 176; Ashing, 170; Golf 
Links, 170; Dike, 170; to Llandud- 
no, 191; to Mostyn and Maen-v- 
chwyfan, 179; to Newmarket, 176; 
to Rhuddlan, 171; to St. Asaph, 
173; to Tremeirchion Caves, &c, 
175; views, 170. 

Rhythallt, R., 289. 

Richard II., 165, 171, 192, 195. 

Rivals, The (Yr Eifl), ascent, 111. 

Rock of the Falcon, 218. 

Rodney's Pillar, 10. 

Roman Bridare 8tation, 219; to 
Gwynant Valley, 243: from Pen-y- 
gwryd, 296. 297; to ditto, 242. 

Roman Steps, 96, 70. 

Rossett, 124. 

Rothesay Castle, wreck of, 279, 248. 

Ro-wen (Y Ro), 218, 256, 262. 

Royal Charter, wreck of, 279. 

Ruabon, 126. 

Rug Chapel, 143. 

Ruskin, 64. 142. 

Ruthin, 185; castle, 186; from Cor 
wen, 146: distances and excur- 
sions, 185; to the Loggerheads. 
Mold and Rhyd-y-mwyn, 187; to 
Moel Fammau, 166; from Rbvl. 
180, 185. 

Saltney, 124, 164. 
Sandycroft, 16^. 
Ram Badrl?. 93. 
Sam Cynfelyn, 37. 



Fishing, Legend*,] 



INDEX. I Wells, etc, classed together. 



Sara Elen or Helen (Ffordd Elen, 
or Llwybr Elen), 7, 119, 149, 238, 
241. 

Sara Hwlcin, 179. 

Sara Melllteyrn, 109. 

Sarn-y-bwch, 56. 

Scott's •• Betrothed," 11. 

8egontium, 287. 

8eiont, R., 286, 289. 

Selthennin, Story of, 43. 

Seler Ddu (Black Cellar), 112. 

Seven Wonders of Wales, 125. 

Severn (Hafren), R., 3, 14, 15, 16} 
source of, 18. 

Severn Valley, 13. 

Shelley in Wales : at Cwm Elan, 20; 
at Tremadoc, 103, 310. 

Shelton Oak, 4. 

Shipley, Dean, 125, 173, 176. 

Shon Morgan, Shon Shones, 167. 

Shrewsbury, 1; Battle of, 3; 
castle, 1; churches, 2, 3; Council 
Hcuse, 1; Darwin's birthplace, 
4; Kingsland, 3; Quarry, 3; to 
Ruaboa, 127; School, 1, 3; Show, 
3; to XTriconium, 3; to Welsh- 
pool, 4. 

Siamber Wen, 177. 

Siddons, Mrs., birthplace of, 21. 

Sidney, Philip, 1. 

Singrig, 241. 

Sir Kay, 153. 

Skerries, 281. 

Inowdon (3,560 ft.), 312-320, 160; by 
Aran (t); from Beddgelert, 318; 
to ditto, 319; from Capel Curlg, 
316; by Crib-y-ddysgyl (t); Cwm 



Gifts (t); Grib Gdch (t); by Llan- 

ay path, 313; desoent 

by Lllwedd (t) ; ascent from Llyn 



berls pony path, 



Cwellyn, 319; by Moel Eilio, Moel 
Gdch and Moel Cynghorion (t); 
from Pen-y-gwryd, 316, 295; 
to ditto, 317; Pig Track, 316, 317; 
from Rhyd-ddu, 318; to ditto, 319; 
from and to Snowdon Ranger, 
319, 320; Watkin's, Sir E., Path, 
320; botanical rambles (*); cir- 
cuit of, 312; configuration, 312; 
railway, 312; view, 315; winter 
ascent by Tyn&all and Huxley, 
317. 
Snowdon, summits, ridges, cwms, 
Ac, of:— Aran, 312 (t); Bwlch 
Cdch (f); Bwlch Cwm-y-llan, 312; 
Bwloh-y-maen, 312, 319; Bwlch -y- 
saethau, 312, 320; Carnedd Ugan, 
312; Clawdd Cdch, 312; Clogwyn 



Snowdon, Ac— Continued. 
Du'r Arddu, 312; 319; dOffwya* 
y-garnedd, 312; Crib-y-ddysgyl, 
312; Cwm Brwynog, 312, 314; Cwm 
Clogwyn, 312, 318; Cwm Creiglog, 
312; Cwm Dyll, 312; Cwm Gifts, 
312 (t); Cwm Gifts Bach, 312, 314; 
Cwm-y-llan, 312; Gallt-y-wenallt, 
312; Grib Gdch, 312 (t); Llechog. 
312, 318; Lliwedd, 312 (t); Moel 
Cynghorion, 312 (t); Moel Eillo, 
312 (t) ; Moel Gdch, 312, 290 (t) ; Y 
Wyddfa (summit), 314, 312. 

Snowdon, accidents on, 296. 

Snowdon Railway, 312. 

Snowdon Range, 511. 

Snowdon Ranger Inn, 304; to Bedd- 
gelert, 305; from Carnarvon, 304; 
fi om Llanberls, 290; from Nantlle, 
306; to Nantlle, 305 

Snowdon Station (Rhyd-ddu), 104, 
105, 160, 305, 306, 318. 

Snowdonia, 284. 

Snowdonla Section, 284—336. 

Snowdonia, a Week in (*). 

South, Dr., 6. 

Souther at Llangedwyn, 6; rhyme* 
on Melangell. 149 

South Stack, 282. 

Spectre of the Brocken, 329. 

Spenser on Conway Pearls, 217. 

Spenser's Timon, 153. 

Spital, 172. 

St. Asaph, 173; cathedral, 173. 

St. Beuno's College, chapel and 

• well i75 

St. DelnioPs Library, 164. 

St. George, 193. 

St. Tudw&l's Isles, 104, 108. 

Stanley, H. M., and Denbigh, 182. 

Stay-little, 18. 

'Steddfa Gurig, 19, 49, 50; ascent 
of Plynlimmon from, 49, 19. 

S TONES, ERECT, INSCRIBED, Ac. 
(including Crosses) : —Anglesey, 
in, 284; Bedd Porius, 87, 123; 
Bwlch-y-ddeufaen, 261; Cad fan 'a, 
55; Carn March Arthur, 52; Car- 
leg Cam March Arthur, 188; Car- 
reer Samson, 41 ; Carreg y Big ytt 
y Fach Rewlyd, 144 ; Cors-y-gedol, 
nr., 69; Corwen Church, at, 143; 
Croesfaen, 57; Crugyn Cross, 172; 
Derwen Cross, 146; Dyeerth Cross, 
176; Eliseg's Pillar; 132 ; Llanaber 
Church, 67; Llanbedr, 95; Llanfl- 
hangel-y-Traethau, 102; Llangad- 
waladr, 280; Llangian, 109; Llecb 



•Traveller** Edition: too List of Contents. 

\TraveUer , s Edition: see Unfrequented Ascents of Snowdon in List of 
Contents. 

TXXXV.] 



Antiquarian Remains,] 



INDEX. 



[Cromlech*, Encampments, 



•tone*, Erectp ©tc— Continued. 
Goronwy, 122; Llech Idris, 87; 
Me en Beuno. 14; Maen Huall, 
186; Maentwrog, 114; Maen-y- 
campiau, 256; Maen-y-chwyfan, 
179; Newmarket Cross, 178; Pen- 
mechno, at, 259; Penmon Priory, 
near, £78; Princess Joan's Effigy, 
277; St. Iestyn's Effigy, 279; St. 
Pabo's Effigy, 284; Yspytty Cyn- 
fyn, 48. 

Strata Florida, 44; Abbey, 44. 

strata Marcella Abbey, 11. 

-Suetonius Paulinus, 178, 275. 

«wallow Fall, 233, 234. 

-Sycharth, 5. 

Sychnant Pass, 247, 251. 

Taff B 21 

Talar Goch Mine, 168, 176. 

Talbot's Bones, 5. 

Talerddig Cutting, 23. 

Tal-for-graig, 52. 

Talgarth Park, 34. 

Taliesin, 38. 

Taliessin, 35, 225, 211; Grave, 37. 

Tal-sarnau, 102, 100. 

Tal-y-bont, near Barmouth, 68; nr. 

Borth, 37; nr. Towyn, 57; nr. 

Trefriw, 215, 221, 331. 
Tal-y-cafn, 214, 217, 331; from 

Abergele, 194; through Bwlch-y- 

ddeufsen Pass, 218; from Llanfair- 

fechan, 261. 
Tal-y-fan (2,000 ft.), 256, 263. 
Tal-y-foel Ferry, 280. 
Tal-y-llyn, 57, 33, 88; Cader Idris, 

ascent, 59; from Corris, 33; from 

Dolgelley, 88; from Towyn, 57. 
Tal-y-ilyn Junction, 21. 
Tanat, R., 6. 
Tan-y-bwlch, 114, 309, 334; to 

Beddgelert, 114; toFestiniog, 116. 
Tan-y-grisiau, 116, 120, 122; to 

Beddgelert, 122; from Beddgelert, 

309; ascent of Moelwyn, 122. 
Tan-yr-allt. 103, 310. 
Tarannon, 23. 

Taren Cwm-ffernol (1.806 ft.), 60. 
Taren-y-gesail (2,187 ft.). 60, 34. 
Taren -yr-hendre (2,076 ft.), 60. 
Telfl Lake, 45; River, 40. 
Telford. 1, 128. 
Templars in Wales, 172. 
Tennyson and Bala Lake, 152; on 

Llanberis, 289. 
Three Cocks Junction, 21. 
Tin 8ylwy, 279. 
Tomen-y-mur, 121, 87, 159. 
Tonfanau, 55, 60. 



Torques, golden, 178. 
Torrent Walk, 80. 

Tours Suggested (•). 

Towyn, 53; to Abergynolwyn, 56; 
to Barmouth, 60; Beacon Hill, 
56; Bird Bock, 58, 56; boating, 
54; Briddell Arw, 60; Cader Id- 
ris, 59; Cadfan's Church and Pil- 
lar, 54; Castell-y-bere, 57, 58; 
Croesfaen, 57; distances, 53; to 
Dolgelley, 56; to Dol-gdch Water- 
falls, 56; Dysynni valley, 57; 
Gorlan Fralth, 60; Happy Valley, 
56; Llanegryn and Llannhangel, 
58; Pen-are, 56; Peniarth, 58; 
Rhyd-yr-onen, 55; Snowdon, 160, 
view of, 56: to Tal-y-llyn, 66; 
Taren-y-gesail, 60; Tonfanau, 55; 
Ynys-jr-maengwyn, 57. 

Towyn, near Rhyl, 191. 

Traeth Bach, 102;— Mawr, 102. 

Traeth Coch, 279. 

Traeth Maelgwn, 35. 

Trawscoed, 45, 49. 

Trawsfynydd, 121, 123; from 
Bala, 159; to Bedd Porius, Llech 
Idris, and Waterfalls, 123; from 
Dolgelley ,87 ; from Harlech, 101. 

Tre Arddur Bay, 281. 

Tre-borth, 274, 278. 

Trefeglwys, 2z. 

Treffynnon (Holywell), 166. 

Treflys Old Church, 105. 

Trefnant, 174, 175, 180. 

Tref riw, 221, 220, 224 ; from Bettws- 

Scoed, 220; from Capel Curig, 
8: to Capel Curig, 227; to Car- 
nedd Llewelyn, 224, 331; to Con- 
way, 220; to Craig Eryrod, 224; 
distances and excursions, 222; 
Fairy Falls, 226; Golf Links. 224; 
to Grfnllom, 227; to the Lakes 
and Llanrhychwyn Church, 224; 
from Llandudno by steamer, 216; 
to Llyn Cowlyd, 228; Llyn Craf- 
nant. 224; Llyn Dulyn, 221; Llyn 
Geirionydd, 226, 224; to Porth- 
lwyd Fall, 221; Rhaiadr-y-parc 
Waterfall, 226: to Tal-y-cafn Sta- 
tion, 221; Trelriw Wells, 217, 221, 
224. 

Tregaron, 40. 

Tre-garth, 270. 

Tremadoc, 103, 310. 

Tremeirchion, 175; Caves, 175. 

Tre'r Castell, 278. 

Tre'r Ceiri, 112. 

Tre'r Ddol, 37, 38. 

Tre'r Gwyddel, 296. 

Trevor Station, 128, 136. 



•Traveller' * Edition. 

[xxxvi.] 



tee LiU of Content*. 



IWeto, t 



, daittd tngrttlrr. 



.r Aber-s( 



Trum Talr Taren. 
Trwyn Cllan 109. 

near hum ten -n ._, .... 

Tryfan (3,010 It.), 320—333; from 

Ida Glyders, 322: from Ok wen. 

323; to ditto, 3B3. 
Try (an Junction, .504. 
TlJWKryii. R., 124, 152 
Tubular Bridge, 2T4. 
Tudors, 278, 279. 
Tudwal's (St.) Isles, 104, 108. 
Twll Du (Devil's Kitchen), 302: 

from Llanberls, 291; to TJunberis 

ind Glyders, 303. 



, St. 114, 115. 

[ill, 287. 

yn Valley and River, 23, 18. 



is 



Hyll Bridge,' 






mouth, 70; I 



the . 



Tj-n-y-maes. J30. 

Tjrau Mawr (2,187 ft.), 74, 93, 

Uffern, 168. 

Uppingham School at Earth, 3^ 
Cpton Magna, 3. 
Uriconium. 1, 3. 

Valla Crucla Abbey, 131 

Villey Station, 280. 



Vortigera (Gwrthayrn). 
Vortigern's Valley, 111. 

Vyrnwy, 8, 7; from B: 
lo Dfnas Mawddwy, 
tances, 10; from LUnfylll 
Llanuwcbllyn. 155- to 
mawddwy. Tn- fmm Dn , 
tyll Rhal. 



Virawy (Vlrnie- 



Wsen-fawr, 
Wiles, Sey 
v.^lioa. .w. 

Watt's Dyk_. 

Wellington defeats 
WELLS.— [Ffynn 
Well, >ind is ft 



}. R., 9, 10, 
Wonders of, 125. 



128. 



— , which means 
- -jiinj in the names 
lle.is here omittsitj: — 



Walla— Co ntinutd 
Asaph, 177- Beuno, 112, ITS; 

JivSS?! m ' KllBQ . iw; Fait, a*. 

174; GybL n 28j- kJSSal, wfS& 

aegis, 135; Oledd. 71; Oswald, 5t 
Pc-nmon, 278; Perls 292- Trlllo 
Ml; Sflriol. 283; Sullen 143°' 
Wen 177; Wlnelflde. 165. ' 



We la h pool, 

distances. It; to Llanfa^r, Canr 

Wheeler (Chwtler), R. 170 

--" " £enblgh. 184. 
f,T79'."" 



Wynn, Sir Jobri _ 
Wy n n\ H £d, W h atk S i n WlllUmB ' » 



v^ D !V Ir ' 101 ' 

Y Lasynys, 102. 
Ynyl,^, ,1 i 5 . (Bard3e '-'- ** 

.... (puffln Island), 279, 



Ynys-y-Brawd, 84. 



Ys;wy a th U H. r l2M9. 
Ystol, or Ysgol Felen 
YWytfdfa, < 314, 312, 



Heights of Mountains. 



NOTES, Ac. 

Tourist Tickets for Wales from London, &c, are Issued by the 
Great Western, and by the Cambrian in connection with other 
companies, and convenient trains are arranged. 

The Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge Railway is expected to run 
trains in the summer. 

The Mawddwy Railway is temporarily closed (March, 1902.) 

P. 41. The Prince of Wales has been elected to the office of 
Chancellor of the University of Wales, vacated by the King on his 
Majesty's accession to the throne. ' 



HEIGHTS OF MOUNTAINS. 



6nowdon ... . 
Cainedd Ugan 
Grib G6ch ... 
Lliwedd 

Carnedd Llewelyn 
Carnedd Dafydd 
Glyder Fawr 
Glyder Fach 

Y Gam 

Foel Frfts 

Elidyr Fawr ... 

Tryfan 

Aran Fawddwy 
Cader Idris 
Aran Benllyn ... 
Moel Siabod 
Mynydd Moel ... 
Arenig Fawr 
Cader Ferwyn ... 

Moel Sych 

Pen-llithrlg-y-wrach 
Moel Hebog 
Cader Fronwen 
Elidyr Fach 

Drum 

Moelwyn 
Drosgol (Aber) 

[xxxviiL] 



3,476 
3,023 
2,947 
2,451 



Feet. 
3,560 



3,484 
3,426 
3,279 
3,262 
3,104 
3,091 
3,029 
3,010 
2,970 

2,m 

2,901 
2,860 
2,804 
2,800 
2,713 
2,713 
2,621 
2,566 
2,564 
2,564 
2,528 
2,527 
2,483 



Xjietnr ... ... ... ... 

Plynlimmon 

Diphwys 

Rhobell Fawr 

Moel Eilio (Snowdon) 

Rhinog Fawr 

Rhinog Fach 

Garnead GOch 

Mynydd Mawr 

Cnicht 

Taren-y-gesail (Briddell 

Tyrau Mawr ... . 
Manod Mawr ... , 
Moel Fferna ... . 

Tal-y-fan 

Moel Wnion ... , 
Moel-y-gamelin ... 
Yr Eifl (The Rivals) 
Moel Fammau ... . 
Moel Forfydd ... , 
Penmaen-mawr ... 
Cam Madryn ... , 

Breidden , 

Llanfair-fechan 

reg Fawr) 
Great Orme's Head 



• •• •• 



• • •• 



» • ••• 



• •• •• 



• • • « • 



• •• * • • 






• ■ • « * 



• • a • • 



• • • • • • 



• • • •• • 



• * « • •• 



• • ••• 



• * • a « 



Mtn. (Car- 



• ••• 



Feet. 
2.475 
2,469 
2,462 
2,408 
2,382 
2,362 
2,333 
2,301 
2,290 
2,265 

2,187 
2,167 
2,166 
2,070 
2,000 
1,902 
1,897 
1,887 
1,823 
1,804 
1,550 
1,217 
1,202 

1,167 
679 



TEN OR FOURTEEN DAYS' TOUR. 

1. By rail to Llangollen* [Shrewsbury or Chester might 
be seen on the way]. 

2. By rail [through " some of the loveliest brook and glen 
scenery in the world." — Buskin] to Corwen, and through 
Ruthin, Denbigh, and St. Asaph, to Rhyl or Llandudno. If 
the latter, round the Great Orme. 

3. To Conway Castle, the Menai Bridges, and Carnarvon 
Castle. Sleep at Carnarvon or Bangor. 

Extra Day. From Conway walk over Conway Mountain to 
Sychnant Pass, Fairy Glen, and Druids' Circle ; sleep at Penmaen- 
mawr or Llanfair-fechan. 

4. Bail to Bethesda (or coach from Bangor). Coach 
through Vale of Nant Ffrancon and Capel Curig to Bettws- 
y-coed, seeing Falls of Benglog and Swallow on the way. 
[Those who wish to visit Llyn Idwal must either walk or 
take one of the brakes which ply from Bethesda to Ogwen, 
as the coach does not always allow sufficient time]. At 
Bettws-y-coed walk or drive (brakes several times daily) to 
Fairy Glen, Conway Fall, and Pandy Mill. To Pont-y-pant 
by train [this evening or next morning]. 

Extra Day. At Bethesda, see Penrhyn Slate Quarries. Walk or 
drive (4| miles) through Nant Ffrancon past Falls of Benglog to 
Llyn Ogwen. Walk (J hour) to Llyn Idwal. (Climbers should as- 
cend by the left of Devil's Kitchen to the plateau above, for one 
of the finest views of mountains and lakes in Wales. Time from 
Ogwen, about two hours. From the plateau the Glyders might be 
ascended. See description of ascent from Llyn Idwal, p. 303). 
Walk (not very attractive) or drive, 5J miles from Ogwen to Capel 
Curig. If the Glyders have not been climbed, the ascent of Moel 
81abod might be made; or the hills on the north of the Bangor 
road, for half an hour or so, for exquisite views. 

Next Day. Walk past Llyn Crafnant to Trefriw and Llanrwst. 
Rail to Pont-y-pant or Dolwyddelan, and back to Bettws-y-coed. 
8ee Fairy Glen, Conway Fall, and Pandy Mill. 

5. Drive by coach through Capel Curig and Pen-y-gwryd 
to Pen-y-pass, and ascend Snowdon from there, if a stiff 
ascent by the zig-zag from Glaslyn is not objected to. (This 
is a mile shorter than the Llanberis ascent, and about 800 
feet less in height). If the ascent is made from Pen-y-pass, 
descend to Llanberis. Otherwise continue the drive down 
the Pass to Llanberis. See Dolbadarn Castle, Quarries, 
and Waterfall. 

6. If Snowdon has been ascended from Pen-y-pass, walk 
or drive up Pass of Llanberis to Pen-y-pass. Otherwise walk 
(or go by train) up Snowdon, and down to Pen-y-pass (where, 
if the start is made very early, the coach may be caught). 
Prom Pen-y-pass walk or drive through Nant Gwynant to 
Beddgelert. [The Pen-y-gwryd route is the grandest route 
on Snowdon, and Nant Gwynant is one of the loveliest val- 
leys in Wales and should not be missed. Otherwise, the 

[xxxlx.] 



Tours. 

shortest (and a very fine) descent from the summit ot Snov 
don (about 4 m.) is to Rhyd-ddu, and there an omnibus ma 
probably be found for Beddgelert. Those who walk all tk 
way to Beddgelert will of course keep to the regular Bed< 
gelert route.] 

7. Visit Pont Aberglaslyn (1£ m.), &nd drive to Festinio, 
or walk by road or over the hills. Or, go on foot or by omn 
bus to Portmadoc. Or, if Carnarvon has not been visite< 
return from Pont Ajberglaslyn to Beddgelert, take omnibi 
to Rhyd-ddu, and rail to Carnarvon. See Castle. Rail vi 
Afon-wen and Minffordd to Tan-y-bwlch or Festiniog. Se 
Festiniog Falls. 

8. Rail to Minffordd and Harlech. See Castle. Rail i 
Barmouth. Bridge. Panorama Walk. 

Extra Day. Sleep at Harlech. Next day walk to Moel Senl| 
(2 m.). From there to Cwm Bychan Lake (about an hour). Fro: 
Cwm Bychan through Llanbedr to Pen-sarn (about 6£ ra). Or ca: 
can be taken from Llanbedr to within a mile of Cwm Bychai 
Ball from Pen-sarn to Barmouth. 

9. Road, river, or rail to Dolgelley (boats can only 1 
taken to Penmaen-pool — train from there). By Torrei j 
Walk to Precipice Walk. Time may also be found to vis I 
Ty'n-y-groes and the waterfalls. 

10. Home by Cambrian Railway, to complete the circu: , 
of Welsh Scenery ; or by Great Western, for those whoa | 
homes lie that way, and whose time is limited. By Can 
brian a detour may be made to Aberystwyth. 

Extra Day, making 14. days. Ascend Cader Idris and descen 
to Tal-y-llyn. Or walk (8J m.) or drive (9J m.) along the road t 
Tal-y-llyn, and from there walk or drive (f? m.) to Abergynolwy: 
railway station for Towyn, or to Corris 6tation (3J m.) for Machyn 
lleth. Or take train to Drws-y-nant, ascend Arans, and descem 
to Llanuwchllyn (for Bala and lake), or Dlnas Mawddwy, wher 
train can be taken to join the Cambrian. Or take train from Do! 
gelley to Aberystwyth, and drive to Devil's Bridge. 

A WEEK IN 8NOWDONIA. 

The following is the best way of climbing the mountains an 
seeing the finest scenery without twice covering the same ground 
except three miles: — 

1. To Bettws-y-coed. See the Swallow Fall, the Fairy Glen, &c 

2. Rail to Tan-y-grisiau, climb Moelwyn and Cnicht, am 
thence by Pont Aberglaslyn to Beddgelert. 

3 Coach up the Vale of Gwynant to Pen-y-pass, walk ove 
Snowdon to Rhyd-ddu, train to Carnarvon. 

4. Train to Bangor and Bethesda, coach to Llyn Ogwen, ascen, 
by Twll-du, over Y Gam and Elidyr Fawr to Llanberis * 

5. Drive up the Pass to Pen-y-pass, ascend the Glyders an 
Tryfan, thence by Llyn Bochlwyd and Ogwen to Capel Curig. 

6. Drive to 36th milestone on Holyhead road, ascend Carned 
Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn, and descend to Aber by Drosj 
«nd Aber Falls. 

[xl-1 



I I. 

I i 

i ! 

i r 

U 



1 1 

jV 



PART I. 



ON AND OFF THE CAMBRIAN. 



Sbrewsburs to TICielsbpool. 

MOST people who travel from England into Wales pass 
through Shrewsbury or Chester, or both of them, and in 
each there is a good deal that is interesting and picturesque 
to see. We begin with Shrewsbury,which can be reached 
from Paddington by the Great Western Railway, or from 
Euston by the London and North Western, in about four 
hours, if the traveller then takes the Welshpool line, and 
completes his journey to the coast by the Cambrian, he may 
reach Aberystwyth in three hours from Shrewsbury, or Bar- 
mouth in three hours and a half. Another way to Barmouth 
is by the Great Western through Buabon and Dolgelley ; 
but our present purpose is to guide the reader over the Cam- 
brian, after we nave mentioned the chief sights of Shrews- 
bury, and taken him to join that railway at Buttington. A 
short account of the best walk through the town, to be ac- 
complished in an hour between the trains, will be most 
useful here ; little allowance being made, of course, for 
stopping anywhere. The population of Shrewsbury at the 
last census was 28,395. 

Walking down the station yard, high above which the 
Castle is seen, and reaching the street, we turn left for the 
town. Almost immediately several interesting buildings- 
are close about us ; on the right, Old Shrewsbury School, 
where Philip Sidney and Charles Darwin, whose statue 
stands in front of it, were educated, now a free Library and 
Museum, in which many Roman remains from Uriconium 
are preserved; on the left, the ancient Castle, which was for 
centuries a royal fortress. Most of the old portion was 
probably built in the reign of Edward L, when so many of 
the Welsh castles were erected, but there had been a for- 
tress here from the time of the Saxons. The tower, or. 
summer house, overlooking the river is modern, and was 
designed by Telford, the engineer of the Menai Suspension 
Bridge. The Castle is still inhabited, but visitors who wish 
to enter the grounds are not likely to be hindered. Imme- 
diately beyond the entrance to the Castle grounds, a turn- 
ing on the same side of the street leads to the Council 



2 SHREWSBURY. Churches, 

House, once the seat of the Court of the Marches, but now 
converted into private dwellings. Charles I. was here for 
three weeks in 1642, and James II. spent a day here. Con- 
tinuing along the main street — Castle Street — the next turn 
to the left leads to St. Mary's Church, a structure exhibit- 
ing almost every variety of architectural style, beginning 
with Anglo-Norman of the 12th century, and famous for its 
spire, 222 feet high. It was from this spire that Cadman, 
the flying; man who figures in Hogarth's picture of South- 
wark Fair, was making his foolhardy attempt to slide down 
a rope to a field on the other side of the Severn, when he 
was killed, in 1739. An inscription on the west wall of the 
tower records the disaster, attributing it to " a faulty cord 
being drawn too tight." The beautiful interior of the 
church is remarkable for its fine glass — note the Root of 
Jesse window in the east. The carved ceiling of the nave 
was seriously injured by the fall of a part of the spire in 
a gale in 1894, when the windows happily escaped. Near 
to St. Mary's is St. Alkmund's, another church with a lofty 
spire — 184 feet. This church was probably founded by 
Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, before 915, but 
the body of the building was "restored" at the end of the 
last century, and again partially restored in 1897, when 
pinnacles were placed on the tower, from 'which they 
had disappeared. We return along the street which runs 
in front of St. Mary's Church to take up our route from the 
station. 

Turning past the new Post Office, close to the site of the 
old High Cross, where the Welsh Prince, Dafydd ap 
Gruffydd, brother to Llewelyn, is said to have been hung 
and quartered, we descend Pride Hill, with a turreted mar- 
ket hall before ns. The first turn to the left leads up the 
quaint street called the Double Butcher Row ; the next, a 
little further down the Hill, takes us past some fine half- 
timbered buildings (" Ireland's Mansion " on the right) 
to The Square, with the picturesque Market House of the 
16th century, one of the finest buildings of the kind to be 
seen in the country. 

It Is said that at one time the hall was rented by the Company 
of Drapers, who there bought flannel which had been brought to 
the town by Welsh weavers, and, according to a local legend, the 
mode of purchase was novel— and profitable. "A drum revolving 
on an axle was used for measuring the flannel. This drum, 
exactly a yard in circumference, was turned by a handle, and 
each revolution of the handle was counted as a yard, without 
any consideration for the gradual Increase in the diameter of the 
drum by the successive folds of the article measured thereon " 
According to the story, the Welshmen were not astute enough 
to discover the fraud for some time, but when they found it out 
they deserted Shrewsbury market, and so It came to pass thtt 
the tfadt tn Welsh flannel wu extinguished) 



The Sights. SHREWSBURY. S 

In The Square, one side of which is occupied by the 
County Hall and Assize Courts, stands a statue, by Maro- 
chetti, of Lord Clive, who was born in Shropshire ; and 
a few yards along High Street (to the left as we stand facing 
Clive's statue) is the Unitarian Chapel, where Coleridge 
preached the sermon which Hazlitt walked all the way from 
Wem to hear, and where Charles Darwin attended as a boy. 
A turning to the right from High Street leads to the remains 
of Old St. Chad's Church, an edifice of great antiquity. 
Most of the building fell to the ground in 1788, ana the 
crypt has been explored within the last few years by the 
Shropshire Archaeological Society. Returning to the bot- 
tom of Pride Hill, we can go straight on to the Quarry ; but 
a more circuitous way, down Mardol in front of the Market 
Hall, will lead to the same place. Mardol runs to the 
Welsh Bridge, and when that is reached, a path to the left 
by the Severn will bring us to a public pleasure ground, the 
Quarry, with great avenues of lime trees, one of them bor- 
dering the banks of the river. 

The visitor can cross, by ferry, at the end of the long avenue, 
or by bridge a little further on, to the new Shrewsbury School, 
which is seen high above the river— a converted workhouse!— 
and to Kinesland behind it, where, once upon a time, "Shrews- 
bury Show ,r was conducted with pomp aiid ceremony. Some ac- 
count of the high jinks performed on King aland, with engravings 
of the Trade Arbours, may be found in Chambers's ■• Book of 
Days." Kingsland retained its ancient features until, a few 
years ago, it was laid out in sites for new houses. 

We follow an avenue which leads from the ferry towards 
St. Chad's Church, and turn to the right soon after leaving 
the Quarry. From here our course is straight on until the 
English Bridge is reached. On the way the Eye and Ear 
Hospital is passed, and then the only remaining tower of 
the town walls, along which we are soon afterwards walk- 
ing, with the Severn below on our right, and a Roman 
Catholic Cathedral on our left. In another five or six 
minutes the English Bridge is reached, and there, unless th 
flooded river has submerged the path, a walk along the 
Severn to the left leads in a few minutes to St. Mary's 
Water-Gate, through which part of the Parliamentary Army 
entered the town in 1645. The steep lane here runs up to 
Castle Street, where we turn to the right for the station. 

But there are other interesting spots in the outskirts of 
Shrewsbury which must be mentioned. For Shrewsbury battle- 
field, which Is about three miles away, you turn to the right 
when you leave the station yard. The distance to the Roman 
city of Uriconium is five miles [it is 2} m. from Upton Magna 
station], and the way lies over the English Bridge mentioned 
above, and past the Abbey Church, remarkable for a west window 
of unusual size and beauty. The Norman and Gothic interior In 
well worth seeing. Parts of the church are early Norman, anil 



4 SHftEWSfcURY. To Welshpool 

part is quite new, the chancel having been re-built in 1887. The 
west window and other portions of the building have been re- 
stored. To this church the remains of St. Winefride are said to 
have been brought from Wales in the reign of Stephen. On the 
right of the road which runs past the church is a stone pulpit, 
the only remnant of what was once the great refectory of the 
Abbey. Following this road for half a mile or so, the visitor will 
come to a lofty column, surmounted by a statue, erected in 
honour of the Shropshire hero, Lord Hill, who fought at Water- 
loo. The column can be ascended for a fine view of the sur- 
rounding country ;. and, on returning, the first road on the right 
(except one close to the column) leads to the Elizabethan man' 
sion of the White Hall. Finally, to return to the greatest ol 
Salopian worthies, Charles Darwin's birthplace is on the Holy< 
head road, a few minutes' walk from the Welsh Bridge (page 3) 
Cross the bridge, keep to the left, straight on, and soon aftei 
passing the turning to St. George's Church a carriage driv< 
on the right is the approach to the Mount, where Dr Robert 
Darwin ("the biggest man I ever saw out of a show," says Mozley 
lived, and his famous son, Charles, was born in 1809. The housl 
is about a mile from the station. By extending the walk aloni 
the Holyhead road for another mile Shelton Oak would b 
reached, from whose branches, according to an exploded tradi 
tion, Owen Glendower watched the battle of Shrewsbury, an 
inside whose hollow bole, it is said, half-a-dozen people migfc 
dine. 

And now we must leave Shrewsbury, and enter the trai 
for Welshpool, twenty miles distant. At Middleiown sti 
tion we are within a short distance of the cottage in whic 
" Old Parr " was born ; the trees above it may be seen hal 
a-mile to the left. 

There is a brass mural tablet In Great Wollaston Chap* 
which records that Parr was born at the Glyn, within tl 
chapelry of Wollaston, in 1483; that he lived in the reigns of t< 
kings and queens of England, from Edward IV. to Charles I., ai 
that he "died the 13th, and was buried in Westminster Abbe 
the 15th November, 1635, aged 152 years and nine months/' Pe 
has been a fortune and a seat in Parliament to an enterprisi 
journeyman printer, who invented " Parr's Life Pills," and wi 
the hit realised a hundred thousand pounds. Old Parr hlms 
was not nearly so fortunate. At the age of eighty he fell 
love, and got married; at the age of 105 he had to do penan 
In Alberbury Church, •• in consequence of an Intrigue wi 
Catherine Milton;" and (as we are asked to believe) at the i 
of 152 he was taken by the Earl of Arundel to be shown to 1 
King in London, where the dissipations of the Court cut him < 

Soon after leaving Middletown (where we enter Wal 
the railway, which runs between the Long Mountain on i 
left and Moel-y-golfa, a part of Breidden, on the right, joi 
the Cambrian at Buttmgton ; but the train runs on 
Welshpool. 



Mbitcburcb to TKHelsbpool. 

WHITCHURCH, where the Cambrian joins the London 
and North Western, is chiefly notable to the traveller 
because the bones of Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury (slain 
in the battle of Castillon in 1453), lie in the church, where 
some years ago they were discovered and re-buried. Between 
the first and second station after leaving Whitchurch the 
train crosses Whixall Moss ; Ellesmere, a little further, is 
remarkable for its meres or lakes, where the phenomenon 
of the "breaking of the meres" has given rise to much con- 
troversy ; Whittmgton has the remains of an ancient castle ; 
and two miles beyond Whittington the train reaches Oswes- 
try. 

Oswestry is called after King Oswald, who is generally 
thought to have been slain here in battle with the pagan 
Pencfa of Mercia in 642. In Welsh the town is called Croes 
Oswallt, i.e., Oswald's Cross. Outside the town is Oswald's 
Well, where a good deal of "wishing" has gone on in former 
days ; the church, dedicated to Oswald, has a fine massive 
tower, but no features of particular interest ; and only a 
few stones remain of the ancient castle, the stronghold of 
the Fitz-Alans, from whose family, according to some genea- 
logists, King Edward VII. is descended. Another object 
of attraction to the antiquary, Old Oswestry, an extensive 
British encampment, may be seen, the first of two low hills 
partly covered with trees, on the right hand as the town is 
entered by the railway from Whitchurch or Gobowen. 
Across the Shelf Bank, above the Cambrian Railway Works, 
on the left of the line, just before the station is reached, 
runs Watt's Dyke, which will be mentioned again. 

Pistyll Rhaladr, the Berwyns, and Lake 

Vyrnwy. 

Pistyll Khaiadr, 9J m. by driving road from the nearest 
railway station, Llanfyllin, about 18 from Oswestry by 
toest driving road, about 16 by more hilly road, nearly 8 
from Llandrillo railway station. A public conveyance 
runs from Llanrhaiadr to Oswestry (and back in the even- 
ing) on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Vyrnwy, for 
Lake Vyrnwy, 10 m. from Llanfyllin (occasional public 
conveyance), 15 from Bala, 8J from Pistyll Khaiadr. 

The nearest railway station for the waterfall of Pistyll 
Rhaiadr at present is Llanfyllin (9£ miles), but a new 
line now constructing will connect Oswestry with Llan- 
trynog, and facilitate the approach to Lake Vvrnwy as well 
as the waterfall. The more hilly road for Pistyll Rhaiadr 
from Oswestry passes near Llansilin, and about a mile and 
a bAlf from * no moated mo and of Sycharth, where Owen 



6 * PISTYLL RHAIADR. Llanrh<zicut£r. 

Glendower had a residence, described by the poet, Iol 
Goch, in well-known verse which Borrow has translated 
From Sycharth it is a little over a mile to the road nei 
described, which would be reached near Llangedwyn. Bi 
the usual driving road from Oswestry we pass (3£ miles 
Llynclys, where there is a railway station ; and (6 miles 
near Llan-y-blodwel, which contains a church with a de 
tached tower. Four miles further, on the right, is Llanged- 
wyn Hall, the residence of the Dowager Lady Williams 
Wynn, where Southey visited and prepared material for his 
poem of " Madoc " ; here we are in the pleasant vale of the 
Tanat. Thirteen miles from Oswestry a road to the left 
leads to Llangynog (19£ miles from Oswestry) and Bala (31| 
miles). Avoiding the turning to Llangynog, in another mile 
we reach the inn at Llanrhaiadr, of which parish, it will 
be remembered, Dr. South was sinecure rector, and Dr. 
Morgan, the translator of the Bible into Welsh, was vicar. 
In the south-west angle of the church an ancient cross will 
be seen. The remainder of our walk or drive, about three 
miles and a half, follows the course of the stream which 
comes from the fall ; and, arrived there, we find a cottage 
where some simple refreshment can be obtained. The spot- 
is a charming one. The water descends in three falls, a total 
distance of 240 feet, passing through a natural arch in its 
descent, and the trees which clothe the sides of the dell add 
to the beauty of the scene. It is evidently this fall which 

fave the stream its name of Bhaiadr (a waterfall), whence 
jlanrhaiadr ; so that Pistyll Bhaiadr, which means the 
Spout of the Waterfall Biver, is somewhat of a tautology. 

From the head of the fall the hills can be crossed to the 
Bala and Llangynog road. Keep the stream, here called 
the Disgynfa, on the left, follow It pretty well as far as 
you can (crossing two or three tributaries), and then con- 
tinue west to the pass of Milltir-gerrig, on the Bala road, 3} 
miles from the fall, about 5 from Llandrillo, and 9 miles from 
Bala. Tradition says that a battle was fought above the fall 
in the time of Owen Owynedd; and on a knoll about a mile from 
Pistyll Rhaiadr (close to the route which we have followed, and 
about 150 yards from the stream), are a circle and two parallel 
lines of stones, 91 feet long and 13 feet wide, having at the en- 
trance two upright stones about four feet high. They are partly 
covered by rushes and not easy to find; but look for them after 
crossing the first tributary stream. The remains are called 
Cerrlg-y-beddau (the Stones of the Graves), and are marked on 
the ordnance map. 

Over the Berwyns to Llandrillo.. 

From Pistyll Rhaiadr, the Berwyns can be ascended for 
a verv extensive view, and they can be crossed to Llandrillo. 
Just below the fall a tributary stream, the Nant-y-Uyn, comes 
down from a small lake called Llyn Llyncaws. If we are 



I 



To Llandrillo. THE BEBWYNS. 7 

bound for Llandrillo, it is better to follow a path on the 
right of the stream, and to the right also of the lake, beyond 
which ii runs up a ridge, then descends again, crosses a 
valley, and ascends to Bwlch Maen Gwynedd (2,347 feet) on 
the left of Cader Fronwen. [It is a more exhilarating walk to 
turn to the left on the ridge, there climb to the summit of 
Cader Ferwyn on the left, and keep along the high ground 
until, just at the beginning of the ascent to Cader Fronwen, 
and not far from Bwlch Maen Gwynedd, we again strike the 
Llandrillo path]. A little way beyond the Bwlch the path 
bends to the left, the track called Ffordd Gam Elen (Elen's 
Crooked Way) bending to the right, and leading to the road 
between Corwen and Llandrillo. Our Llandrillo path 
presently runs on the right of a little watercourse, and in 
something like three miles passes through a gate, where a 
road descends to Llandrillo. The time allowed should be 
quite three hours. 

To scale the Berwyns direct from the fall, follow a track from 
near the cottage at the foot of the fall, ascending the left slope 
of the Nant-y-llyn valley, and walk along the ridge to Mod 
Sych, which rises above Llyn Llyncaws, and commands fine 
views, from the Wrekln on one side to Snowdon on the other. 
The next summit, Cader Ferwyn, only a little further, accord- 
ing to the six-inch ordnance survey is exactly the same height 
as Moel Sych (2,713 feet), or, to be precise, one is half a foot 
lower than the other! Over Cader Ferwyn it is easy to make 
your way to the Llandrillo path, near Bwlch Maen Gwynedd, as 
described in the last paragraph. 

An easier approach to the Berwyns from Oswestry may be men- 
tioned. From Chirk station on the Great Western system a rail- 
way runs up the pretty Glyn Valley, past Pont Fadog and Dol-y- 
wern, to Llan-sant-ffraid Glyn Celriog, commonly called Glyn (6 
miles). Five miles further up the valley is Llanarmon (which is 
9 miles by the shortest road from Oswestry), where there are 
remains of ancient earthworks on the hill to the north. We fol- 
low a road which would take us over the northern flank of Cader 
Fronwen to Llandrillo; but, about two miles beyond Llanar- 
mon, a rough cartway to the left leads up Cwm Llawenog in two 
miles to Blaen-y-cwm farm; beyond the farm Cader Fronwen 
(2,564 feet), easily distinguished by Its cairn, rises on the right 
of the valley, and there is no difficulty in finding the way to the 
summit. The ascent from Llandrillo and the view are described 
on another page, but we may say that Cader Ferwyn, mentioned 
above, is less than two miles along the ridge (southernly) from 
Cader Fronwen, which is one of the highest summits of the long 
Berwyn range. We have more to say about the Glyn Valley in 
the Llangollen section. 

Pistyll Rhaiadr to Vyrnwy. 

Some pedestrians may like to make direct from Pistyll 
Rhaiadr to. Vyrnwy across the mountains, by a route (6*£ 
miles) which is convenient if not very attractive. 

Follow the nath across the wdoden bridge below the fall, and 
up through draig-y-mwii miriea. When mote level ground ll 



8 LAKE VYRNWY. Water Works. 

reached bear left and down the cwm, on the right side of the 
stream, to Llangynog. Turn to the right at the Independent 
Chapel, and make through the disused works to the farm beyond. 
The path now lies through the wood behind the house, and when 
a stile is reached at the head of the cwm turn right along a 
grassy cart track, from which a fine panorama of hills can be 
seen on a clear day, including Cader Idris and the Arans. Avoid 
what looks like a path down the first valley to the left, but des- 
cend the second one when the lake comes in view away to the 
left, and follow the stream through a gorge, to the hotel gate. 
[In taking the reverse direction, which is perhaps on the whole 
the better one, ascend the gorge from the bridge, and when the 
valley widens make for the slope on the right, and ascend to the 
main ridge till a cart track near a fence is struck; turn right and 
at the stile descend the broad green path to Llangynog. The way 
then lies across the bridge, and along the path at the foot of the 
quarried hill. At the gate near a small disused slate quarry 
take the zigzag green path to the top, and, avoiding the path that 
runs over the hill on the right, descend through the mining 
works until the fall appears ahead in the trees. It is not a walk 
for wet or misty weather]. 

Llanfyllin to Pistyll Rhaiadr and Vyrnwy. 

Llanf yllirif the nearest station for Vyrnwy and (by driv- 
ing road) for Pistyll Rhaiadr, is the terminus of a branch 
of the Cambrian Railway. For Llanrhaiadr (6 m.) and Pistyll 
Rhaiadr (9£ m.) you go through the town from the station, 
past the church, and, by a road which runs west, and, about 
a mile from the station, take the right fork. Avoid turns 
to the left and you can scarcely miss your way. About a 
mile from Llanrhaiadr you cross the road to Llangynog. 

Conveyances run from Llanfyllin to Vyrnwy in summer, 
in connection with the Cambrian trains, but not less than 
four persons must go, and three days' notice must be given. 
There is a good road all the way. Turning to the left from 
the Llanrhaiadr road, about a mile from the railway sta- 
tion, about five miles further, at a blacksmith's shop, take 
the right fork, and when the dam is visible ahead descend 
by the steep road to Vyrnwy at the southern end of the 
lake made by the Corporation of Liverpool to supply that 
city with water. 

Lake Vyrnwy, as the great reservoir is called, constructed 
in a natural basin, is 825 feet above the sea, and is nearly 
five miles long. It is about a mile longer than Bala 
lake, and is the largest sheet of water in Wales. Round the 
reservoir runs a carriage road, 11| miles long, which, at the 
lower end, passes over the great dam that has been constructed 
to pound up the water and form the lake. The dam is a re- 
markable and cyclopean piece of work, computed to contain 
261,300 cubic vards, some 511,000 tons in weight. In total height 
it is 161 feet, but 60 are buried in the foundations; in length it is 
1,172 feet; in thickness, at the base it is 120 feet, and the faces 
of the masonry slope inwards until it becomes a roadway of 20 
feet between the parapets. The road is carried on 33 graceful 
arcnes across the dam, and through the middle arches tne over- 
flow pours and falls in a cascade nearly 600 feet broad and 



tlantvdtdyn. tAfciS VtkNWtf. 6 

more than 80 feet high— a superb sight, but not to be seen in dry 
weather. 

The aqueduct, passing by way of Oswestry and Malpas to Liver- 
pool, chiefly consists of iron pipes, but partly of tunnels, by one 
of which, the Hirnant tunnel, 2J miles long, the stream is con- 
ducted from the lake, after issuing from the Vyrnwy Tower along 
a submerged culvert. The tower is an imposing structure stand- 
ing in the water (above which it rises to the height of 113 feet) 
at some distance from the shore, with which it is connected by a 
viaduct, built, like the tower itself, on solid rock at the bottom 
of the lake. The purpose of the tower is to draw off the water at 
the surface, whatever the level of the lake may be, and to strain 
it through fine copper wire gauze before it is sent on its way to 
the* sand filters at Oswestry. Not far off, and standing about 140 
feet above the lake, is the hotel built by the Liverpool Corpora- 
tion. The hotel commands a fine view, with Aran Fawddwy in 
the distance, and the magnificent sheet of water close at hand. 
The estimated storage capacity of the reservoir exaaeds 
12,000,000,000 gallons, and the daily supply to Liverpool through the 
single line of pipes first laid down is more than 13,000,000 gallons ; 
but when the scheme is fully carried out, and three lines of pipe 
are provided, it will be increased to 40,000,000 gallons, in addi- 
tion to the compensation water sent down the Vyrnwy, as the 
Act requires. Fishermen have no need to fear that the Vyrnwy 
and the Severn will suffer from the impounding of the water; 
on the contrary they will gain by the 10,000,000 gallons a day 
which must be regularly supplied from the reservoir, and the 
extra supply of 40,000,000 daily during four days in each month 
from March to October. The Vyrnwy is only one of several 
streams which are to supply the reservoir, some by flowing di- 
rectly into it, others, the Afon Cowny and the Marc hn ant (which 
join the Vyrnwy below the dam), by artificial connection through 
tunnels about a mile long, to be utilized when the additional 
supply is required. In length the great aqueduct connecting 
Vyrnwy with Liverpool exceeds all that have gone before it, being 
68i miles to the reservoirs at Prescot, and 77 miles to the Liver- 
pool Town Hall; and the cost of the works has been a good deal 
more than £2,000,000. 

The Vyrnwy scheme was projected by Mr. G. F. Deacon, 
who first prepared plans and sections in 1877. The names 
of the late Mr. T. Hawksley and Mr. Deacon appear in an 
inscription on a rock near the dam as the joint engineers in 
1881, but Mr. Hawksley retired in 1885, and Mr. Deacon has 
carried ont one of the greatest engineering works of the 
time. The first stone of the reservoir was laid on the 14th 
of July, 1881, by the late Earl of Powis, and the water of 
the river Vyrnwy, which had previously run through the 
valley, was stopped by closing the valves in the dam on the 
28th November, 1888. The water was formally turned on 
at Liverpool by the Duke of Connaught on the 21st of July, 
1892. 

The Bite of the old village of Llanwddyn^ with its church 
and churchyard, which stood about two 'miles from the 
lower end of the lake, is now covered by the waters to a 
depth of 35 «feet when the lake is full, and a new church, 
which was opened in November, 1888, has been erected on 



10 OSWEST&Y TO WELSHPOOL. Brtidden. 

an eminence near the dam. To the new churchyard were 
removed the headstones which stood in the old burial ground, 
and, as far as possible, the mortal remains interred there ; 
and the old church was dismantled before its site was 
covered by the waters. Other buildings also were taken 
down, and the materials removed, where it was worth while 
to remove them, and new houses were provided for the in- 
habitants. 

The distance from Vyrnwy to the upper end of tjie lake Is about 
5 miles, and to Bala 15. [The road is described in the Bala sec- 
tion]. The distance to Llanuwchllyn is about 14, and to Dinas 
Mawddwy about 16, by mountain road, but there is a nearer 
walking way, over the hills to Llan-y -mawddwy. To Llanrhaiadr 
the distance Is about 10 miles by mountain road, turning to the 
left from the Llanfyllin road at a wall box, and to the left again 
at the next junction, and then going through Hirnant and Pen-y- 
bont-fawr, but pedestrians can save a mile or more by following 
the telegraph poles from behind the hotel to Hirnant. 

On to Welshpool. 

Taking the Cambrian train again at Oswestry, in four 
miles we pass Llynclys Po ol (right), where, according to one 
legend, the king of the country living in a palace on that 
spot was " swallowed up into the bowelles of the earth " for 
not listening to St. German of Auxerre, when he came to 
Britain to combat the Pelagian heresy. (Llyncu means to 
swallow, and llys a palace). In two miles more Llan-y- 
tech Rock rises abruptly on the right, and the ^la^Jvirin 
iranch, already mentioned, joins the line ; here ftlso^is a 
railway to Shrewsbury, made many years ago, and aban- 
doned. Several articles of Roman manufacture have been 
dug up on the site of C arreg Hoya Castl e, once a noted bor- 
der fortress, about a mTIe from Llan- y^mynech . 

Llan-y -my nech (the Monks' ChurcH) is frequented by fishermen, 
and Llan-sant -ffraid also, the first station on the line to Llan- 
fyllin (9 miles); and from Llan-sant-ffraid they make their way 
along the Vyrnwy (often Anglicized VIrniew) to Meifod (14 
miles), where there is an interesting church, and past Mathrafal 
(celebrated as the residence of the later Princes ot Powys in and 
before the 11th century), to Llanfair (20 miles); but LI an fair is 
more easily approached from Welshpool. From Llanfyllin there 
is a road through Llangynog (9 m.) and over the Berwyn hills to 
Bala (21 m). At Llangynog the remains of a British- village have 
been found on a small plateau west of the summit of Craig 
Rhiwarth, a steep hill north of the village. 

Pursuing our journey by rail across the yyrnwy . we have 
now reached Montgomeryshire , and the remainder of our 
trip on the Cambrian win De in Wales. To the left rises 
the Breidden, with a pillar in memory of Admiral Rodney, 
and to reach it the train should be left at Epur Crosses, 
Arddleen, or Pool Quay. From the last two^tfee" tilstajace 



Pawis Castle WELSHPOOL. 11 

(over a Severn ferry) is about 2\ miles ; from Four Crosses, 
4 miles. For travellers from Welshpool, Buttington Junc- 
tion station is a convenient starting-place. ** - — - — • ' 

The Breidden, Cefn-y-castell, and Moel-y-golfa are all 
in one group. From the summit of the Breidden (1,202 
feet) Aran Fawddwy and Cader Idris (west), and Plynlim- 
mon (south-west), are included in the extensive panorama ; 
and antiquaries will be interested in the ancient encamp- 
ments which are to be found here, and in the knotty point 
whether it was on the Breidden that Caratacus, or Caradog 
(misnamed Caractacus), and Ostorius had their decisive 
struggle. In times gone by a party of choice spirits used 
to meet periodically on the top of the hill, and there enjoy 
a prolonged spree, and they chose a Poet Ferneat, who an- 
nually supplied an ode. 

Resuming our journey by rail to Welshpool, we shall cross 
the Severn before arriving at Buttingt on, where a thousand 
years ago th q Daneq wi ntere d, and were driven out by the 
Earl of Mercia, and where now there is a junction with the 
Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway, to which we brought 
our readers (on page 4) from Shrewsbury. The site of the 
Abbey of Strata Marcella, about half-a-mile from here, has 
been partly explored by recent excavations. Strata Marcella 
is a Latinization of its Welsh name, Ystrad Marchell, i.e., 
the Vale of Marchell — a personal .name derived from the 
Latin Marcellus or Marcella. 

The chief attraction at WolShpOOl — so called to dis- 
tinguish it from Poole in Dorsetshire — is, of course, Powis 
Castle, which, is called in Welsh Castell Cdch (Red Castle), 
it is said because of the reddish stone of which it was built. 
Here, in 1110, Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, Prince of Powys, while 
building this castle, was slain by his nephew, Madog ap 
Rhiryd. Portions of the exterior are believed to date from 
the early years of the fourteenth century, and much of the 
interior presents a fine specimen of the times of Elizabeth 
and James I. The Castle has had an eventful history, and 
visitors who know their Walter Scott will recall the ban- 
queting scene in " The Betrothed," in " the long low hall " 
of Castell Coch. In some guide books Charles 1., in others 
Charles II., is said to have slept here. The only foundation 
for the story is the fact that Charles I. was expected (but 
never came) in 1645, and a bedroom prepared for his use 
has been preserved in the same condition up to the present 
time. The Castle contains a number of objects of artistic 
and antiquarian interest, including a very fine collection 
of bronze implements, which visitors are sometimes al- 
lowed to see. Ascending to the Top of the Park (for which 
permission can be obtained by any respectable visitor, at 



12 WELSHPOOL. To Dinas Mawddwy. 

the Estate Office at the Castle), an elevated spot may be 
reached, from which there is a magnificent view ; Cader 
Idris, the Arans, and Plynlimmon being visible on a clear 
day. The way to this spot from the town is along Park 
Lane, through the first Park into the second, to a point 
about 100 yards from the Castle ; then up the drive on the 
right until nearly at the highest point, when, to the left, the 
third Park is entered, for the view we have mentioned. 

Geologists may be reminded that near the " Top o' the 
Town " there is a spot which has been named by the late Sir 
Eoderick Murchison " The Trilobite Dingle " ; an hour or 
two can be profitably spent amongst the interesting collec- 
tions of the Museum, which the Powys-land Club presented 
to the town when the Free Libraries Act was adopted ; and 
archaeologists will also find something to attract them in the 
old Church of St. Mary, restored by Mr. Street, and in the 
Bowling Green near the station, which is believed to be an 
old British encampment. A few yards from the church 
porch is a large boulder stone, said to have been brought 
from Strata Marcella and placed inside the church, where 

Senitents stood upon it. It is believed that Vavasor Powell, 
urine the time of the Commonwealth, turned it into the 
churchyard. A black and white cottage near the east end 
of the church is said to have been the birthplace of Grace 
Evans, who assisted Lady Nithsdale (a daughter of the Duke 
of Powis) in the famous rescue of her husband from the 
Tower of London. Guilsfield Church (3 miles away) re- 
mains, after restoration, one of the most interesting in the 
county. About a mile to the north of it is the encampment 
of Gaer Fawr. This fort was probably the chief seat of the 
old kings of Powys, who ended with Cyngen ap Cadell (for 
whom see under Valle Crucis) in 854 ; for their family is 
described as "of Cegidva " (i.e., the Hemlock Field), which 
is the Welsh name of Guilsfield. 

Welsh pop I to Dinas Mawddwy. 

From Welshpool an omnibus runs [and a railway will soon run] 
to Llanfair (8J m.), where some excellent fishing Is to be obtained. 
Cann Office, 7 miles further, through Uanerfyl (where, in the church- 
yard a Romano-British inscribed stone, and in the church a 
Tudor altar table, are to be seen), is also famous as the head- 
quarters of anglers, who, if they are of an antiquarian turn, will 
And a number of carneddau and camps worthy of notice. From 
Cann Office, through Garthbeibio, it is nearly 11 miles over 
Bwlch-y-fedwen to Mallwyd, and about 12 to Dinas Mawddwy. The 
scenery is not particularly impressive most of the way, but the 
beautiful valley through which the Clywedog flows to Mallwyd, 
and the valley between Mallwyd and Dinas Mawddwy, present a 
delightful contrast to the bleak country through which the travel- 
ler has passed. Between two and three miles past Bwlch-y-fed- 
wen, and a little way beyond a bridge over the Clywedog, at the 
Junction with an old road on the right, is Llidiart-y-Barwn, the 
scene of the murder of Baron Owen, mentioned on page 26. 



A 



TPQleiebpool to Brecon* 

ND now for a fresh start mountain-wards. As we run 
along the Severn Valley Powis Castle forms a conspicu- 
ous object to the right, and the spire of Lei ghton Chu rch rises 
high on the slope of the opposite hill. This is the Long r 
Mounta in, called in Welsh Cefn or Mynydd Digoll, which 
is associated not only with the last struggles for Welsh 
independence, but with the far earlier war & outrance be 
tween Cadwallon of Gwynedd and Edwin of Northumbria [ 
in 632-8 Y when (say ^e We}sh Triads ) " tiie_iitetf£tnwas^poi- [ 
luted (with blood) from4ts source to its mouth." 'the battle '■■(■ 
is called in Welsh Gwaith Digoll, or the Action of Digoll. / 




ing passed Jf'orden station, we see Corndon (1,685 feet) ris- 
ing prominently some distance to the left; and, if we keep 
a sharp look-out ahead, Montgomery Church and the ruins 
of Montgomery Castle become visible on the same side. 

Soon after we pass Forden station we cross the Camlet, or 
Camlad, a little stream noteworthy because, rising near 
Bishop's Castle, a Shropshire town ten or twelve miles to our 
left, it is the only stream which flows from Engla nd into 
Wales ; and also because ot its bifurcation near Linlev Hall', 
wliere the other branch forms the Onny, which joins the 
Teme near Ludlow. The other Welsh instance of this pecu- 
liarity is the Gwydderig, which, bifurcating near Trecastle, 
sends part of its waters into the Towy at Llandovery, part 
into the Usk. 

Montgomery (H m. from the railway station, from 
which an omnibus runs) was once a walled town, and traces of 
the wall can still be seen. The church, with its carved screen, 
is interesting ; visitors who delight in old houses should not 
miss Lymore, one of the seats of the Earl of Powis, where 
there are pleasant walks in the park surrounding it ; and 
for extensive views the Town Hill to the south-west of the 
town may be recommended. Corndon, with a still more ex- 
tensive panorama, is between six and seven miles distant, 
and on the way there a visit may be paid to the beautiful 
Marrington Dingle, through which the Camlet winds. 

In the graveyard of the church "repose" (it is to be hoped) the 
bones of an unfortunate man. The " Legend of the Robber's 
Grave ** is one of the beliefs of Montgomery. It has been told in 
a variety of forms and publications. Suffice it to say here that 
once upon a time a man was believed to have been wrongfully 
hanged at Montgomery, and when the rope was round his neck 
he declared, in proof of his innocence, that grass would neve* 
grow on his grave. Be the cause what it may, there is yet to he 



14 MONTGOMERY, The Castle. 

seen a atrip of sterility— in the form of a cross—amidst a mass 
of verdure. It is also a superstition of the neighbourhood that 
any one who attempts to frustrate the fulfilment of the prophecy 
will pay the penalty with his life, and instances are gravely re- 
lated of persons who have sown seed on the sterile strip and met 
their death soon afterwards. 

The remains of the Castle are passed on the way to the 
town from the station. Only a heap of ruins is left of this 
once famous stronghold. 

In the sixteenth century the Castle came into the hands of the 
Herberts of Cbirbury, and here the famous lord of that name, 
celebrated for his learning, and the no less famous poet, cele- 
brated for his piety, doubtless spent many of their .youthful 
days. Indeed, Izaak Walton claims for the Castle that it was the 
birthplace of Holy George Herbert, but this is disputed. The 
Castle, which was held by Lord Herbert for the King, was be- 
sieged by the Parliamentary Army, and surrendered to Sir 
Thomas Myddelton In September, 1644, and some discussion has 
arisen as to the conduct of Lord Herbert on that occasion. A 
document preserved at Powis Castle gives a pitiful account of the 
attack by night, the appearance of Lord Herbert in infirm 
health, " forsaken, deceived, and betrayed," and the parley with 
the attacking forces. On a neighbouring eminence is the old 
encampment of Ffridd Faldwyn, commanding a lovely view. 

Montgomery station may almost he called the centre of a 
vast battlefield, for hereabouts the Welsh and the English 
fought many a bloody fray ; and at a ford (since converted 
into a ferry) called Rhyd-y-groes, or the Ford of the Cross, 
on the Severn between Forden and Berriew, divers confer- 
ences were held between the commissioners from the early 
English monarchs and the Welshmen, and treaties were 
signed, vainly attempting to make peace between the na- 
tions. The Severn, calm as it looks when we pass along its 
banks in our train, must have been a red river for many a 
long day. Drayton, one of our older poets, says : — 

How could I else recount the slaughtered Saxons' gore 
Our swords at Crossford spilt on Severn's wandering shore? 

The name Rhyd-y-groes is now only retained by a farm-house 
2| miles from the Severn. The ford is also well known to readers 
01 the Welsh " Mablnogion " as the place where Rhonabwy (in 
his picturesque " Dream ") was shown the marshalled forces of 
Arthur passing through the river on their way to the victorious 
battle-field of Badon Hill. Another notable ford on the Severn 
(close to the Roman camp called the Gaer, and formerly, in Eng- 
lish, Thornbury ) was Rhyd Whimman. Here courts were held ; and 
here on Nov. 25th, 1288, Richard Swinfield, Bishop of Hereford, rode 
into the middle of the river to assert the jurisdiction of his see 
over all on its right bank from this spot to the ford of Shrawar- 
dine. The place is now locally called Red Women ! 

About a couple of miles from Montgomery station is the vil- 
lage of Berriew (from Aber Rhiw, " the Mouth of the River 
Rhiw," which here joins the Severn); and a mile further, on a 
road which branches -to the right from the highway to Welshpool, 
Is an erect stone, Maen Beuno (St. Beuno's Stone). This saint 
is r^cor^ed tq h,ave h,a4 Berriew granted to him by Mawn qt 



Sabrina. MONTGOMERY TO NEWTOWN. 15 

Ma wan, son of Brochwel Ysgythrog, King of Powys in the 6th cen- 
tury. From this spot Forden station is a mile away across the 
Severn. 

From Abermule, our next halting place, a short branch 
line runs to Kerry, which is celebrated for the dispute be- 
tween Giraldus Cambrensis and the Bishop of St. Asaph at 
the dedication of the church in 1176, at which date some 
portion of the present edifice was built. Half-a-mile beyond 
Abermule, on the north side of the river Severn, upon the 
summit of a cone-shaped hill of abrupt ascent, we see the 
ruins of Castell Dol-forwyn, from which beautiful views of 
the neighbouring district may be obtained. On the acces- 
sible sides of the hill deep trenches are cut through the 
solid rock for defensive purposes. In the valley below is 
Dol-forwyn — Meadow of the Virgin — a name supposed to 
allude to" the legendary story of Sabrina. The story (first 
found in (xenfTrfty of Monmouth's fat)til™™ " Hfctory T " written 
»«igTlr trfffl 19fV * ^^ nturv ) is told in all sorts of ways, of which 
tnis is one : — 

Sabrina was the daughter of Tx>crfnp for T -orrlnng), yinp pf 
Brftalii. That worthy became enamoured ot Estrildis (a name 
made by the Welsh translators of Geoffrey into EssylH), one of 
three matchless maidens he had taken captive after defeat- 
ing her father, Humber, King of the Huns. Even in that rough 
and ready age Locrine was obliged to resort to the plan so suc- 
cessfully adopted centuries later ty Henry the Eightn, before he 
could obtain possession of the maiden's charms; so. without 
much compunction, he put away Gwendolen, his lawful spouse, 
and took to his bosom Estrildis. Sabrina was the result. But 
the course of love, whether true or not, does not run smooth; 
Locrine died, and Gwendolen reigned in his stead. Then came 
the opportunity for revenge. Estrildis and her daughter took J\\ 
refuge at Dol-forwyn, whither t he Queen followe d, and had '• 
the m both drowned in the rlyeT flowing before the house, 
Wlricll Irom mat a ay was called Sabrin a, until the name was cor- j 
rupted into Severn . As though to increase the illusion of The 
tale. ajU vcing rockl n the bed of the Severn appears to suggest 
the memorable spot from which the ill-fated virg in was consigned 
to the deep waters of the eddying stream. Sabrina became a 
"Wj iter Babg ." and for many years seems to have been really a 
very useful maiden in the district; for it is said, and was be- 
lieved, that she r oamed on th q fprtllf TnAmi pw« along the river 
banks every evening, healings the mlscnieis caused to the earth 
by those troublesome spirits that dealt in " elfish magic." She 
also protected damsels in distress, and delivered from positions 
of peril her fellow virgins. The beautiful passages in Milton's 
" Comua " will be remembered. Dyer^ who writes of ' 

Wreakin's brow to rocky Boiforyn, 
Sabrina's early haun t, ere yet she fled 
*rne searcn oi Gwendolen her stepdame proud, 
With envious hate enraged,— 

is the only one of the poets, we believe, who fixes upon this 
locality as the one where 

The water-nymphs, that in the bottom play'd, 
Held* up their pearled wrists, and took her In. 



\. 



16 NEWTOWN. Moats. 

Geoffrey of Monmouth gives no indication of the locality. (It 
need hardly be said that Sabrina is the old form both of the 
English Severn and the river's Welsh name, Hafren; and that 
Locrinus was the "eponymus" of Lloegr, the Welsh name for 
England). 

Between Abernmle and Newtown, down below us on the 
right, we may see, by looking out sharply, an ancient tumu- 
lus, surrounded by what was at one time a deep trench or 
moat. Montgomeryshire contains many of these earth- 
works ; this was perhaps thrown up to guard a ford on the 
Severn, which runs close by. Moat Lane, a station further 
down the line, was named from a fine earthwork which lies 
a short distance to the south of it, within which is a farm 
called The Moat Farm. 

Newtown is the chief place for the manufacture and 
sale Of Welsh woollen fabrics, and has become known far 
and. wide through the great business built up by Sir Pryce 
Pryce-Jones. It has not much in itself to interest ttie visitor, 
but we may mention The Hall, formerly the seat of the Pryces, 
and<a queer story which is told about Sir John Pryce, the last 
possessor of that name. He had been married twice, and 
twice become a widower ; and when the third spouse was 
led to the bridal chamber she perceived the embalmed bodies 
of the former wives, one on each side of the bed ! Being a 
resolute woman, she ordered their burial " before she would 
supply their vocation." When, she died the old baronet, 
knowing the objection she had to embalming, employed one 
" Bridget Bostock, a miracle worker," to bring her to life, 
" without any effect." At Newtown Robert Owen, the social 
reformer, was born, and here he came home to die ; and 
there was afterwards a warm dispute among thq good people 
of the place as to whether his memory should be honoured 
with a monument ! It was decided in the negative ; but a 
memorial erected by his admirers now marks his tomb. 
Newtown has its golf links, with nine holes, on the Upper 
Bryn, approached by the Milford road and Bryn wood. 

On leaving Newtown station for Moat Lane we see from 
the line the brick church which has been substituted for the 
old church, now a ruin, in the heart of the town. The- old 
church contained a beautifully carved Gothic rood-screen, 
an ancient font, some curious specimens of ancient armour, 
and a copy of Da Vinci's Last Supper, by Dyer, who was 
an indifferent artist. The screen is now carefully preserved 
at the rectory. The font is in a neighbouring garden, but 
most of the panels were chipped off before it was removed, 
and it is almost worthless. 

At Moat Lane, four miles and a half beyond Newtown, 
the Cambrian Railway takes two courses, one, a branch, 



Van Mines. LLANIDLOES. 17 

along the banks of the Severn and the Wye to Brecon ; the 
other, the main line to the coast. Our purpose first is to 
follow the Severn up stream to Llanidloes ; and from there 
to conduct the reader to Brecon. 

On our right as we proceed from Moat Lane to Llanidloes 
we have Cefn Carnedd, a hill near Llandinam and Caer-sws, 
on which is to be found one of the largest British encamp- 
ments in the county. In common with Coxwall Knoll, the 
Breidden, and other places, it has been suggested as the 
site of the famous final struggle between Caratacus and 
Ostorius Scapula. The statue which stands within a few 
yards of Llandinam station, on the left of the line as we 
travel towards Llanidloes, perpetuates the memory of a 
native of the parish, Mr. David Davies, who, by his own 
talents, rose from humble rank to great wealth, and was 
well known for the part which he took in the construction 
of the Cambrian Railways. 

Travelling on from Llandinam, two notable peaks on the 
left are the prominent features of this pretty valley — Allt yr 
Hendre and the more sharply pointed Allt Moch ; and just 
before entering Llanidloes (60 miles from Whitchurch), only 
a few yards to the right of the railway, beautifully situated 
on the banks of the Severn, is Berth Lwyd, once the resi- 
dence of the Lloyds, one of the most influential families in 
the district in the 17th century. It was the birthplace of 
the witty Dr. Lloyd (author of the Legend of Captain Jones), 
who, on account of his learning and attachment to the cause 
of royalty, was made Dean of St. Asaph in 1660. 

The church at Llanidloes is well worth visiting, for the 
architectural beauty of its interior, with its arcade of five 
arches brought from the dissolved Abbey of Cwm Hir (in 
or about 1540) and its fine carved oak roof, as well as for 
the charming view from the churchyard up the valley of the 
Clywedog. Then, if the walk is extended over the Severn 
and along the Machynlleth road, in two miles and a half 
the Van Mines may "be visited. The walk is a lovely one, 
especially for the first mile or so, along the Clywedog valley. 
The story of the mine reads like a romance. Some years 
ago the proprietors sold it to the late Alderman Morris, of 
Oswestry, whose executors again sold it to a London com- 
pany, we believe for £42,000. Very little money, compara- 
tively, had been spent on the mine, but the new lessees set 
vigorously to work, and shares were in the market at £4 10s. 
In February, 1870, these shares were eagerly sought at £86, 
which gave a total value to the property of £1,032,000 ! But 
there are many ups and downs in mining, and when lead fell 
in price a few years ago the little Welsh El Dorado suffered 
like the rest of the world. 



1& LLANIDLOES. The Chartists. 

A remarkable event in the history of Llanidloes was the Char- 
tist outbreak in 1839; of which an account has been written by 
Mr. Edward Hamer. The sturdy weavers began to arm, and 
levied contributions on the neighbouring farmers, for fowling 
pieces and pistols. At length the Home Secretary, Lord John 
Russell, was appealed to by the alarmed authorities; and, after 
some hesitation, sent down three London police officers to cope 
with hundreds of men, who by this time had manufactured 
" pikes, bombshells, and grenades." The magistrates then took 
action, and swore in a couple of hundred special constables. On 
the 30th of April, 1839, the crisis came. A man with a tin horn 
was sent round the town to call the Chartists to a meeting on 
the Long Bridge, and three men were captured in going to the 
meeting, we presume by the three policemen. At any rate they 
were housed in the Trewythen Arms Hotel, and a rescue was 
attempted. When the crowd, which was unarmed, assembled be- 
fore the house, fifty special constables were ready to receive the 
rioters. A determined conflict followed, the place was sacked, and 
the prisoners were set free. The ex-mayor, who was inside, was 
captured, but by a clever device escaped with a whole skin. Be- 
ing a doctor, he " recalled to the memories of the mob how he 
had saved their mothers' lives in ushering them (the Chartists) 
into the world." They saw the force of the appeal and let him 
go! He left the town to give the alarm, and for five days Llanid- 
loes was ruled by mob law. To allay the fears of the orderly in- 
habitants, the Chartist leader sent a patrol about the town to 
prevent as much mischief as possible; and one fellow being 
found transgressing, a ladder was obtained, to which he was tied, 
and he was then ducked in the Severn. Military aid was at 
length secured, and the Chartists, being hemmed in on two sides, 
began to flee to the mountains. Finally thirty-two offenders 
were lodged in the county gaol; they were tried at the next as- 
sizes at Welshpool before Sir John Patterson, and most of them 
received heavy sentences. 

Machynlleth is distant twenty miles from Llanidloes. Eight 
miles away the village of Stay-little is reached, and near the 
ninth milestone the tourist is only a mile or so from Ffrwd Fawr 
fall (130 feet) in the Twymyn valley, along which Llan-bryn-mair 
station may be reached in about six miles from the fall. 

The Ascent of Plynllmmon. 

It is a long walk, some dozen miles direct, or fifteen past 
the source or the Severn, to the highest summit of Plyn- 
llmmon. (The Welsh name for this is Pumlumon, which 
means the Five Standards or Five Banners. Compare the 
name of the mountain called the Nine Standards, near 
Kirkby Stephen). A driving road runs along the course of 
the Severn for nine miles to Blaen Hafren farm, where 
horses can he stabled and a guide can generally be found. 
The source of the Severn is about a mile and a half further, 
and then it is another mile and a half to the first summit 
(2,430 feet), which is on the boundary line between Mont- 
gomeryshire and Cardiganshire, and a little west of south 
from the source of the river. It is about two miles further 
(south-west) to the highest or Cardiganshire summit (2,469 
feet), under which is a lake, Llyn Llygad Rheidol, the "eye 1 * 
(Uygad) or source of the Rheidol, which flows into Cardigan 



To miayada-. LLANIDLOES. 19 

Bay. But we have described a round-about way to the 
summits. About seven miles from Llanidloes a farm-house 
called Rhyd Dibenwch (marked on the ordnance map, which 
should be carried) is reached, and the nearest top will be 
found by crossing the river, and walking about three miles 
in a direction a little north of west. On the way from 
Llanidloes to Rhyd Dibenwch a waterfall may be seen near 
Hen Neuadd. An easier way of ascending Plynlimmon is 
by driving from Llanidloes to 'Steddfa Gurig (St. Curig's 
Seat), 13} miles on the Aberystwyth road. As this spot 
is 1,358 feet above sea level, and only two miles and a half 
from the summit, the ascent is easy enough. The ascent 
from 'Steddfa Gurig and the descent to Dyffryn Castell are 
described in our Aberystwyth section. 

The distance from Llanidloes to Aberystwyth by 'Steddfa Gurig 
and Pont Erwyd is 30 miles; by Devil's Bridge it is 32. The aban- 
doned railway which is seen between Llanidloes and Llangurlg 
was constructed as part of the projected Manchester and Minora 
line, of which' another section, still called by that name. Is now 
used and runs south from Aberystwyth, to which a deviation was 
made, to Carmarthen. The windows of Llangurlg Church (S m.) 
were designed by the donor, Mr. Lloyd of Clochfaen, to com- 
memorate personages and illustrate scenes in Welsh ecclesiasti- 
cal history; and an obelisk in the village perpetuates the virtues 
of Mr. Lloyd, who was the author of a book well known to anti- 
quaries, the " History of Powys Fadog," and the restorer of the 
church, at a cost of £11,000. At Llangurlg the road enters the 
valley of the Wye, which is followed for five miles, when the river 
is crossed about three miles from its source. Half-a-mile on the 
Llanidloes side of this point the Glansevern Arms Inn is passed, 
and there Is no other inn until we ctme to Dyffryn Castell. We 
are now on high ground, more than a thousand feet above the 
sea, and still ascend until, 13} miles from Llanidloes, 'Steddfa 
Gurig is reached (1,358 feet), where the ascent of Plynlimmon 
begins. It Is an exhilarating walk over the slopes of Plynlim- 
mon down to Dyffryn Castell Inn (16 m.), near which the road 
turns off to the Devil's Bridge (20$ m). The fine scenery of the 
Devil's Bridge, and the road to Aberystwyth, are described In our 
Aberystwyth section. 

Cwm Elan and tho Birmingham 

Waterworks. 

Tbe Cambrian Railway south of Llanidloes passes through 
some charming scenery, amongst the hills of Radnorshire 
and Breconshire, and by the side of the Wye. Eleven miles 
from Llanidloes the Wye is reached, and for most of the re- 
mainder of the journey, as far as Three Cocks Junction, 
river and rail keep company. Rhayader (14 m. from Llan- 
idloes), in Welsh called Rhaiadr Gwy, i.e., "the Cataract of 
the Wye," is a delightful sojourn for anglers. The scanty 
remains of the Abbey of Cwm Hir are about seven miles to 
the north-east over the hills, and a far more interesting spot, 
the valley where Shelley stayed awhile, is a little less than 
s\5 miles to tfee south-west, A t^rafce ru,ns up the valley 



2D CWM ELAN. Water Works. 

daily in summer soon after some of the trains arrive. 
A large part of the valley through which the little river 
Elan runs is now being rapidly converted into an im- 
mense reservoir for Birmingham, which sweeps away Cwm 
Elan House, where Shelley (who called the scenery divine) 
visited his cousins, the Groves, in 1811, and Nant Gwyllt 
House, where he came with his wife for a short sojourn 
in 1812. The two houses are about a mile from one 
another, near the confluence of the Elan and the Claer- 
wen ; and it is about the same distance below the junction 
of the streams that the first dam of the reservoir, backing 
up the waters, will make a great lake, or rather series of 
lakes, stretching several miles up the valleys of the Elan 
and the Claerwen. 

The road for Cwm Ela.ll runs under the railway on the 
Brecon side of Bhayader station, then bends to the left, and 
in four miles reaches Caban Coch. A contractor's railway 
has been carried to the works from a junction with the 
Cambrian. 

Cyclists who visit the valleys must ride with caution, as some 
of the hills are steep. At Caban, Cdch a huge dam is being 
erected across the valley, and about a mile further on, at the 
entrance to Cwm Elan, a second dam and a fine viaduct of twelve 
arches are in course of construction. For Nant Gwyllt, going from 
Caban Cdch, turn to the left at the finger-post, and another half- 
mile brings us to Nant Gwyllt House, where the Claerwen Valley 
is before us, up which the scenery is very beautiful, and a walk 
of two or three miles can be recommended. Above Dol-y-mynach. 
a lovely bit of valley, the Cwm Clyd Fall will be seen, and 
another cataract higher up [but all this, of course, the works 
will alter]. 

For Cwm Elan we proceed along the upper road which, when 
the lake is formed, will run by the waterside for many miles. It is 
now possible to drive as far as Pen-y-garreg, where a third dam is 
being built. From Pen-y-garreg it is a pleasant walk on to Craig 
Goch, the site of the fourth dam. At Pen-y-garreg, by the way we 
have come, we are about eight miles from Rhayader. It is possible 
to save between two and three by a short cut over the hills, by 
retracing our steps for about a mile, and turning to the left 
through a gate, near the point where the road is crossed by a 
streamlet, and exactly opposite a lane. You climb a path to the 
more level moorland, and, proceeding along the left side of the 
drains and making straight for the ridge, a fine prospect is 
gained of mountains, moorlands and vales. Rhayader appears 
before us in the valley, and to reach it we must bear to the left 
and descend the cwm, when a mountain road is struck, which 
brings us to the main road less than a mile from the town. Two 
hours should be allowed for the return journey. [In taking the 
re\erse direction, note that ihe mountain road leaves the main 
road (on the right) exactly opposite a bridge on the contractor's 
line to Nant Gwyllt. Follow this till the open ground is reached, 
then bear left to the ridge, and descend on the right of the 
drains]. 

The length of the aqueduct from the great reservoir at Caban 
Coch to Birmingham will be 80 miles, and it will jun near 



The Beacon*. BRECON. 21 

Rhayader, Knighton, Ludlow, and Cleobury Mortimer, between 
Stourbridge and Kidderminster, and through Hagley. The esti- 
mated cost of the first undertaking, which provides for two pipe 
lines, Is about £3,500,000; If a larger projected scheme should be- 
come necessary In the future the cost will be increased to 
£6,700,000. 

On to Brecon and the Beacons. 

Between Rhayader and Builth Wells the traveller, on a 
fine day, will enjoy many a charming picture of the Wye, 
which, amongst the rivers of England and Wales, is hard 
to beat for beauty. At Builth Road (25J miles) the Central 
Wales Railway crosses the Cambrian, and carriages are 
changed for Llandrindod Wells (6 miles distant), a place in 
great and growing favour, and not only amongst Welshmen, 
for its invigorating air and medicinal waters. From Builth 
Wells (26f miles), which also offers its mineral waters as an 
attraction to visitors, the railway still runs near the Wye, 
until, at Three Cocks Junction, the river, turning to the 
north-east, follows the line to Hereford, and the Cambrian 
train turns south-west for Tal-y-llyn Junction (with the Mer- 
thyr line) and then west for Brecon (52 miles from Llan- 
idloes), passing, immediately before Tal-y-llyn Junction is 
reached, Llyn Safaddan, or Llangorse Lake, the largest 
natural lake in Wales, next to Bala. Safaddan, like Bala, 
has its tradition of a buried city, and here, as at Bala, the 
remains of a crannog, or lake dwelling, have been found. 

Brecon (in Welsh Aberhonddu), a pleasant and healthy 
town on the Usk, 450 feet above the sea, is in view of the 
Breconshire Beacons, the highest mountains in South Wales. 
The remains of the ancient Castle stand in the grounds of 
the Castle Hotel ; close to the fine Priory Church is the 
Priory House, where Charles I. took refuge after the battle 
of Naseby ; a tablet on a house in High Street records the 
birth there of Mrs. Siddons ; and there are several ancient 
camps, the nearest being Pen-y-crug on the north-west and 
Slwch Tump on the east, in the immediate neighbourhood 
of the town. 

The easiest way of ascending the Beacons is to drive eight 
miles to the Storey Arms on the Merthyr Road, for there you are 
over 1,400 feet above the sea, and have only 1,500 feet to climb 
and about two miles to walk. From the Inn walk a few yards to 
a gate on the left, pass through it, cross the infant Tafl river, 
and climbing gradually to the left up the shoulder in front of 
you, make for the depression on the right of a flat-topped sum- 
mit. A path can be found some distance up the shoulder. From 
the flat-topped summit the way is clear to the highest point 
(2.906 feet). [In mist beware of the precipitous sides of both sum- 
mits]. The Brecon Beacons cannot compete with the rugged 
grandeur of the wilder mountains of North Wales, but the fine 
escarpments, with their bright colouring, have excited the ad- 
miration of many visitors, and geologists will be Interested to 



22 CAERSWS. Moat Lane. 

know that Sir Roderick Murchison mentions these and nelch- 
bouring heights as " amongst the grandest exhibitions of the Old 
Red Sandstone in England and Wales." The view from the sum- 
mit is extensive and impressive. Southwards, it extends to the 
Bristol Channel and the coast of Somersetshire, Swansea Bay, 
and, we believe, the lighthouse on the Mumbles; north-west to 
Plynlimmon and Cader Idris. The walking distance from Brecon 
to the Beacons is about six miles. Cross the old bridge over the 
Usk, turn down Ffrwd-grech Road when you see that street-name, 
and when another bridge is crossed take the left of three roads. 
Keep straight up the lane, on the right of a stream, and In 
half an hour or less turn right by a farm, and take the next turn 
to the left (In about five minutes), which leads up to the moun- 
tains. The lane becomes a rough mountain track, runs for some 
distance between two shoulders of the mountain, and then as- 
cends to the right. When the ridge is gained the way to the 
summit is plain, but finally, to avoid a steep acclivity, the path 
runs rather to the right of the highest point, and then bends 
left. 



flDoat Xane to Binas flDaw&&wg and 

/lfcacbpnlletb. 

AND now to proceed coastwards from Moat Lane. We 
cross the Severn for the last time, and to our left lies 
the valley of Trefeglwys, up which a railway was construc- 
ted to carry lead from the once famous Van mines. Then 
we reach Caer-sws. 

Caer-SWS, according to local tradition, derives its name 
from a warlike queen named Susan, who had her stronghold 
here ; and in Roman times it was an important station, 
traces of which can still he seen. The railway station is on 
the site of a Roman villa, which was explored in 1854, when 
baths, Samian ware, and a great quantity of bones were 
found. Caer-sws was a borough, though a decayed one, 
even in Elizabethan times, and nad a charter dating from 
the 15th century. In Welsh it used to be called "Caer Swys 
Wen" (from gwen " white or fair") ; whence apparently arose 
the corruption into Susan, who has left her name to a mm 
or Roman road close by. Not far from Caer-sws, and less 
than a mile from Pont-ddl-gdch, is Llanwnog, where, in the 
church, is a magnificent rood-loft. 

Leaving Caer-sws, we soon arrive at Pont-dol-goch (Red 
Meadow Bridge), cross the little river Carno several times, 
and reach Carno station. The Aleppo Merchant at Carno 
is sometimes frequented by anglers for trout fishing, especi- 
ally with worms, in the brooks running from the Llyns Mawr, 
Tarw, and Du, about four miles to the east. 

And now we mount upward over a stiff incline for two 
miles. In advance we have Talerddig and the source of the 
Uttle, rjver Q&XQQ w&ch we ^ave seen, at various paints qf 



»ffwi fawr. LLAN&ftYKMAift. 25 

our journey. Talerddig has been treated as a " cutting " in- 
stead of a tunnel, chiefl y f or the excellent building stone of 
which it is composed. When we get into it we are on the 
highest level of the line to Aberystwyth (69& feet), and the 
cutting on our left is an almost perpendicular wall of 113 
feet ; and just as we leave for our descent towards the coast 
there is a very peculiar arch-like formation in the strata, best 
seen by looking to the left. 

In going down the incline, from Talerddig cutting to Llan- 
bryn-mair, a distance of nearly three miles, the tourist should 
look out chiefly on the left. He will see Cader Idris in the 
distance, and yawning gulfs below him, as he rattles down 
an incline of 1 in 52, on an embankment 70 feet high, which 
are highly picturesque, and which are not rendered the less 
interesting from the fact that he is going down such inclines ! 

The village of Llan-bryn-malr (The Church of Mary's Hill) 
lies a couple of miles from the station, up the valley of the 
Twymyn, to the left, and is surrounded by mountains. Newydd 
Fynyddog, to the east, Is noted for its antiquarian remains, three 
stone circles, the most perfect of which is called Tr Allor (the 
Altar), and another Lied Croen yr Ych (the Width of the Skin of 
the Ox), to which a tradition is attached. Two Ychain Bannog 
(the " long-horned oxen " of Welsh legend) were separated by the 
valley of the Twymyn, and, standing each on the top of his hill, 
bellowed until both died of grief because they could not come to- 
gether. The one which diea on Newydd Fynyddog was skinned, 
and his skin, marked by the circle of stones, was spread over 
the place of interment. The fall of Ffrtcd Fawr (on the Twymyn) 
is up the valley, past the village, and about six miles from the 
station. The river is your guide, but at Pennant, about two 
miles beyond Llan-bryn-mair, the cycling road makes a bend, 
while walkers keep nearer the stream. The Tarannon mountain, 
on the left as you approach the fall, gave the name to the 
Tarannon shales, well known to geologists. 

Close to the station is the Wynnstay Arms Inn, which the 
fisherman can make his head quarters, and he will find several 
streams well stocked with trout. From April to July is men- 
tioned as the best time for sport. 

The next station is Cemmes Road, and here we first see 
the Dovey, one of the best fishing streams in Wales. Both 
Cemmes Road and Cemmes (1} mile up the Dovey) are 
good fishing stations, and there is some very pretty scenery 
on the Twymyn. The Cambrian line skirts the Dovey to 
its outflow in Cardigan Bay. 

2>inas flbawttwg. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

Mallwyd, 1 m., for Clywedog valley, &c.; Aberangell, 
3 m. (for waterfalls, Ac); Llidiart-y-Barwn, 3* m. ; Cann 
Office, 11} m. ; Llanfair, 18* m. ; Welshpool, 26$ m. ; Cross 
Foxes, 7 m.; Dolgelley Torrent Walk, 8J m.; Dolgelley, 104 
m. t or 94 m. by old road; Tal-y-llyn, 13 m. ; Aber Cowarch, 
14 m.; Llan-y-mawddwy (waterfalls, Ac), 44 m.; Bwlch-y- 



24 DINAS MAWbDWV. kallwyd. 

eroes, 8J m.; Llanuwchllyn station (for Bala), 13J m.; 
vyrnwy, 16J m.; Ascent of Aran Fawddwy, 3*4 h. (about 
71 m.)- Distances are reckoned from the station. [The 
Mawddwy Railway is temporarily dosed when these pages are 
passing through the Press, and in the summer a conveyance 
runs between Dinas Mawddwy and Cemmes Road station on 
the Cambrian Railway]. 

THE Mawddwy Railway from Cemmes Road follows the 
upper course of the river Dovey as far as Dinas 
Mawddwy (seven miles from the junction), where the 
tourist will now find a comfortable hotel. [The line is 
temporarily closed when we go to Press.] Dina.8 Maw- 
ddwy, through which the Dovey flows, is an attractive 
place for fishermen, and for travellers in search of rest and 
seclusion, and mountain solitudes. Up to 1886- it kept up 
the semblance of a so-called "Mayor and Corporation" ; and 
if you happen to ask your way to the village you will per- 
haps be directed to "the city," which is the meaning of 
dinas in modern Welsh ; but its old meaning was a fort or 
" strong place." The village (about 300 feet above the sea) 
is half-a-mile beyond the station and the inn ; and the inn 
at Mallwyd, about a mile in the direction of Cemmes Road, 
is also frequented by anglers, who, besides the more acces- 
sible streams, can make their way to Llyn Coch Hwyad (on 
the hills some miles to the east), where, however, permission 
must be obtained of Sir W. Williams Wynn. The valley is 
notable for its picturesque bridges : one is close to the sta- 
tion at Dinas Mawddwy, another close to that at Mallwyd ; 
and there are many charming walks. Crossing the bridge 
near Dinas Mawddwy station, and passing through a gate, 
you will soon come to an old road, which gradually ascends 
the hill. When the highest point, Y Cyttir, is reached, there 
is a beautiful view, including Aran Fawddwy to the north 
and Plynlimmon to the south. For another walk follow the 
Mallwyd road to Pont-y-cleifion, and immediately beyond it 
cross a stile on the left and visit the fine chasm in which the 
Clywedog (here called the Afon Cleifion) flows. The Peniarth 
Arms Hotel at Mallwyd is near Pont-y-cleifion. 

Mallwyd Church was once remarkable for the position of its 
communion table In the centre of the building. Archbishop 
Laud, it Is said, ordered It to be placed at the east end, but Dr. 
Davies (a celebrated Welsh scholar of those days) removed it once 
more to its old position, where, however, visitors must not ex- 
pect to find it now. " Over the porch (says Mr. Pugh in his 
Cambria Depicta) are suspended a rib and a bone of the spine of 
a whale [or, probably, something 'very like a whale!*] caught 
in the Dovey many years ago;" and there are some fine yew 
trees in the churchyard. At AberangeB there 1b a beantifnl 
and level walk (along a tram leading to slate quarries) up the 
Angell river, which Is broken into several falls near the station. 
By continuing the walk for three or four miles, to the summit of 



Banditti. DINAS MAWDDWY. 25 

Esgair-wen, above Maes-y-gamdda, a very extensive view can be 
gained. 

The abrupt, pine-covered hill, Moel Dre* or Moel Dinas 
(1,563 feet), on the west side of Dinas Mawddwy, should be 
climbed, if the visitor has time on his hands. The prospect 
is somewhat confined by the surrounding mountains, but the 
view of the village, and the mansion and grounds of The 
Plas, seen, as if from a balloon, a thousand feet almost verti- 
cally below us, is both remarkable and rare. The easiest 
ascent commences on the Dolgelley road, near the site of a 
toll-gate. Pass through a gate on the left, and ascend the 
road to a stone quarry. Then bear to the right. The hills 
to the right of the Dolgelley road can also be climbed for 
more extensive views ; and there are other ascents in the 
neighbourhood, which the visitor can easily discover for him- 
self. 

To Dolgelley and to Bala. 

The distance to Dolgelley is ten miles and a half, or nine 
and a half for pedestrians by the old road from the Cross 
Foxes to Dolgelley. It is a fine walk among the mountains. 
Turning to the left at the north end of the village (or taking 
the upper road near the Buckley Arms), we pass between 
Moel Dinas and Moel Benddin ; four miles from Dinas we 
are approaching the head of Bwlch Oerddrws — 
"Cold-door Pass" — (1,178 feet), where the Rhinog range of 
mountains comes in sight ; before long a grand view opens 
out over the valley of the Wnion and we see Cader Idris on 
the left ; and in seven miles from Dinas Mawddwy we reach 
the Cross Foxes (615 feet, where the Tal-y-llyn road branches 
to the left. A mile beyond the inn, on the driving road to 
Dolgelley, a turn to the right leads to the Torrent Walk 
(see Dolgelley section). 

It was on the Dolgelley side of Dinas Mawddwy that "many 
powerful gentlemen of Wales, after the death of Owen Glendower, 
assembled for the purpose of making compacts to enforce virtue 
and order." It was in this same district of Mawddwy, too, that 
the Gwylllaid Cochion Mawddwy (the Red Banditti of Maw- 
ddwy) assembled to arrange deeds the reverse of those of the 
successors of Owen Glendower; but their head quarters were on 
the other side of the village, between Mallwyd and Bwlch-y -fed- 
wen (the Birch-tree Pass), on the way to Cann Office and Welsh- 
pool. The date at which these marauders ravaged the country 
was in and about 1555; and it is said that within the recollec- 
tion of " the oldest Inhabitants " scythes and other sharp instru- 
ments were found in the chimneys of the district, having been 
placed there by their forefathers to prevent the savage ras- 
cals from coming down upon the peaceful slumberers at dead of 
night. The brigands were at last dispersed, and to John Wynn 
of Gwydir (an historic name in Wales), and Lewis Owen (Vice- 
Chamberlain of the northern portion of the Principality and 
Baron of the Exchequer of Carnarvon), is due the credit of their 



26 DINAS MAWDDWY. To Bala. 

extirpation. On All Hallows Eve of the year we have mentioned 
eighty were seized, and "punished according to their deserts," 
from which phrase we presume they were hanged. One old lady, 
the fierce mother of a couple of the worsted bravoes, vowed ven- 
geance on the Vice-Chamberlain, and " baring her breasts " be- 
fore him, she exclaimed, " These yellow breasts have given suck 
to those who shall wash their hands in your blood!" We should, 
doubtless, call this a " figurative expression," but those who 
heard the old crone register her vow fulfilled it to the letter, for, 
when Lewis Owen was passing through those parts they waylaid 
him in the woods of Dugoed, at a place now called Llidiart-y- 
Barwn, " the Baron's Gate " (2J miles from Mallwyd, in the di- 
rection of Welshpool), having previously cut down trees to form 
a barricade and arrest his passage. Thirty arrows were found in 
the Judge's body afterwards, and it is said that the brothers of 
the slain sons of the woman, in order to fulfil the vow, cut open 
the murdered man, and washed their hands in his blood. 

The distance to Llanuwchllyn station (for Bala) by Bwlch- 
y-groes is 13£ miles, and taking the same road for part of 
the way, but turning to the right in about eight miles, 
Vyrnwy is reached in 16£ miles (see page 10). The Llan- 
uwchllyn road (which is described in our Bala section) passes 
through Aber Cowarch (1£ m.), where there is a pretty little 
waterfall, and Llan-y-mawddwy (4£ m.), which boasts 
of its own "Torrent Walk," and of two picturesque falls. A 
turning to the left, when the Pumrhyd stream is crossed, 
leads to the walk and the falls, one of which, the nearer, is 
80 feet high. The grounds are open to the public by the 
kind permission of the owner, Mrs. Bradford. Llan-y- 
mawddwy Church is dedicated to St. Tydecho, of whom 
many wonderful tales are told. [See Mr. Ashton's Guide 
to Dinas Mawddwy]. The road commands superb views at 
various points, and it is a grand walk to the top of the pass. 

Ascent of the Arans. 

From Dinas the finest ascents of the Arans can be made. 
The route usually taken is up the Cowarch valley, to the head of 
which, by a longer road than that which we describe, carriages 
can be taken, saving 3£ miles of walking. From the station and 
hotel walk through the village, turning to the right at the end 
of it, and half-a-mile further, to the left and then immediately 
to the right, by a lane which at first runs parallel with the high- 
way, and then turns up the Cowarch valley. You follow the 
Cowarch stream upwards, and about two miles from the highway, 
after keeping close to the brook for awhile, cross a tributary 
stream. Then your way lies by a track across " the common," 
the Cowarch here making a circuit to the right, and in a little 
more than half-a-mile the river is reached again. Here two 
courses are open. The usual way lies across the brook and up 
a lane which soon mounts the hill steeply, and leads to a well- 
defined trackway Oh the right slope of the valley called Hengwm. 
The trackway leads .t6 a turbary, where you bend to the left, still 
ascending, and f each the ridge, from which you look down, to the 
right, into the upland valley of the Dovey, and up to the summit 
of Aran, to which there is only one way from here. 

A shorter route ii recommended toy the shepherds, Instead of 



The Aran*. DINAS MAWDDWY. 27 

crossing the brook at the end of "the common," keep On the left 
of it ; a little farther you cross one stream, and ascending through 
some old lead works, follow a track up Hengwm, very boggy in 
places, near another stream. Approaching the head of the valley 
climb the steep grassy slope until you reach a track running 
under a peak on the left, and so to the ridge, where the Rhinog 
range comes in view. Then your way is up to the rocky secon- 
dary summit on the right, and over the left of it, where you will 



see the cairn on Aran Fawddwy (2,970 feet). Time, 34 to 4 
hours; distance, about 7£ miles. Another half -hour's walk, al- 
most along the level, would take you to the summit of Aran Ben- 



E 



llyn. We describe the view in our account of the ascent from 
the other side, and the descent to Drws-y-nant. 

Another ascent begins at Pont-y-pennant, where the Dovey 
flows under the Bala road (5£ m. from Dinas Mawddwy sta- 
tion). Pont-y-pennant might perhaps be approached in the 
conveyances which run in summer time in connection with 
the Cambrian ; but there is not much advantage in making 
this ascent, unless the climber has already ascended Hen- 
wm, except that the road through Llan-y-mawddwy takes 
im over the most beautiful part of the Bwlch-y-groes route 
to Bala lake. 

Walk or drive to the bridge, and before crossing it, turn to the 
left, and follow the Dovey upwards, ascending near the stream, 
and after a while passing a small waterfall upon it. Still higher 
the path ceases, and you continue over the grassy mountain side, 
choosing the driest places. Aran rises grandly before you, above 
Creiglyn Dyfl— the " Rock-tarn of the Dovey" (where the Dovey 
rises), and you will have no difficulty in climbing to the ridge on 
your left, along which you walk to the summit. 

For the shortest descent to Dinas Mawddwy, having Creiglyn Dyfl 
on your left, descend the summit to the south. Hengwm is 
straight before you, but you want to reach it on the west, and 
therefore bear a little to the right. Reaching it, you see a pre- 
cipitous hill-side, and make your way to the right along the ridge 
until you see a path, in places marked by rushes, running down 
under this precipitous hill-side. When the path ends, you make 
your way down to the bottom of the valley, and presently find a 
track running to the right of a stream, and so reach Cwm 
Cowarch, and, crossing one stream, keep near another until you 
have passed over " the common," beyond which be careful to 
cross a tributary stream, and keep on the right of the Cowarch. 

For the longer and more gradual route down Hengwm, after 
descending to the south from the summit, keep round the ridge 
to the left. Soon there is a beautiful view of Hengwm, and on 
the left slope a path is seen. Keep along the ridge for some dis- 
tance, and then descend to this path, which begins at a turbary. 
The path leads to a lane, which is followed down to the Cowarch 
brook. This is crossed, and the path is joined, mentioned in the 
last paragraph, at the beginning of "the common." 

For Pont-y-pennant you also keep along the ridge to the left, 
until a fence is reached, and then descend the grassy slopes on 
the left, bearing to the right. The Dovey will be your guide, and 
near it, where the stream runs down a narrow valley, you will 
find a path, leading to the Bala road at Pont-y-pennant. [For 
other descents, see " Drws-y-nant " and " Llanuwchllyn," undez 
" Aran Fawddwy " in the index]. 



28 MACHYNLLETH. Mathafarn. 

To Machynlleth. 

Resuming our journey from Cemmes Road towards the 
coast, soon after leaving the station we may observe to our 
right, across the river, a large farm-house on the rising 
ground at the end of an extensive wood. This is called 
Mathafarn. In 1485 a " great poet and scholar," one David 
Llwyd ap Llewelyn, lived here, and according to one version 
of the story, it was here that he entertained the Earl of Rich- 
mond, afterwards Henry VII. 

Henry was on his way from Mllford Haven to Bosworth, and 
was naturally anxious to take safe peeps into futurity; so he 
asked his host (who added the science of astrology to his stores 
of knowledge) what would most probably be the issue of his 
Journey? Now David was a wise as well as a learned man, and 
his poetic nature was balanced by the possession of a practical 
wife. So David asked to sleep on the question, and when the 
shades of evening and the matrimonial curtains had closed 
around them the wife had little difficulty in discovering that her 
husband's mind was troubled, and what the trouble was. So she 
recommended that Richmond should be told a flattering tale; 
for, said she, " If you prophesy good for him, and he gains the 
victory, he will reward us; and if he doesn't and gets killed, 
he won't trouble us!" This circumstance is said to have given 
Wales a proverb, " Cynghor gwraig heb ei ofyn," which, being 
very freely rendered, signifies, " The unsought advice of your 
better half is worth taking." One version of this record of the 
wisdom of the sage's better half rather spoils its effect, for it 
states that when these good things were prophesied Henry said, 
" Then Lloyd, as I shall win, lend me your grey horse." David 
did not dare to refuse; the Earl rode the horse to Bosworth, and 
there is no record of his ever reluming the steed or rewarding 
the owner. 

Mathafarn was for generations the property and residence 
of the Pughes, lords of this district, and in the time of 
Charles I. a stout royalist living there was beaten out by a 
stouter parliamentarian, who burnt the place. The present 
house is comparatively modern. On the same side of the 
Dovey we can see the little village of Llanwrin, and soon 
afterwards we reach Machynlleth. 



flDacbsnlletb. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

To the Llyfnant Valley, and back to Machynlleth or 
Glandovey station, 6 m.; Including Pistyll-y-llyn, about 
10 m. To Corris, by rail, 5 m.; thence to Tal-y-llyn ham- 
let, 3* m., and to Abergynolwyn, 6 J m. ; to Minffordd, for 
ascent of Cader Idris, 3 m.; summit of Cader, 6 m. To 
Aberllefeni, by rail, 6* m.; thence to Dolgelley by the 
Cross Foxes and old road, 7 m. To Pennal, 4 m. To 
Towyn through Dyffryn Gwyn, 12 m. Mountain road to 
Abergynolwyn, 7 m. Conveyances run from Corris to Tal- 
y-llyn and Towyn. 



y 



Fishing. MACHYNLLETH. 29 

MACHYNLLETH, which is one of the six Contributory 
Boroughs of Montgomery, has a population of 2,038 
in the parish. It is a pleasant town, with trees bordering some 
of the streets, and is within three miles of one of the most 
beautiful little valleys in Wales, and the starting point of a 
short and pretty railway journey to Corris, for Tal-y-llyn and 
Cader Idris. It is also a fishing station on the river Dovey, 
which is well known for its trout and salmon. Llyn Bu- 
geilyn, a lake lying (beyond Glaslyn) about two miles south- 
west of the eighth milestone on the Llanidloes road, is 
sometimes visited for its fine trout, but permission must be 
obtained of Sir W. Williams Wynn, or his agent ; and there 
are good trout likewise in Llyn Pen Rhaiadr, which may be 
fished with a permit from Sir Pryse Pryse of Gogerddan. 
A carriage can be taken to Llyn Bugeilyn, from which Plyn- 
limmon can be ascended. Machynlleth also boasts its golf 
links, on the Park Common, south-east of the town. 

It is a place of historic interest, for here Owen Glendower, 
after his victories over the English, held a parliament ; it 
is believed, in a house in Maengwyn Street, and portions 
of the ancient structure are perhaps incorporated in a build- 
ing now to be seen nearly opposite the entrance to the 
grounds at Plas Machynlleth. 

On this occasion Owen narrowly escaped assassination. Among 
the chieftains who appeared to support his title came a gentle- 
man of Breconshlre, David Gam, whose vision was distorted (in 
Welsh cam). Although openly he was a supporter of Owen, 
secretly, he was an adherent of Henry IV., and he attended the 
ceremonies at Machynlleth for the purpose of murdering Glen- 
dower. Fortunately Owen had timely notice of the intention, 
and the culprit was arrested. Powerful friends interceded, or 
Gam would have paid the penalty of his guilt there and then. As 
it was, he became a close prisoner, and only got his liberty after 
ten years' confinement. Three years later he raised a body of 
men In Breconshlre to join the fifth Henry in his French expedi- 
tion, and, according to one account, he fell fighting In the battle 
of Aglncourt, after reporting to his royal master that there were 
enough to kill, enough to take prisoners, and enough to run 
away. "Davy Gam, esquire," is mentioned in Shakespeare's 
Henry V. In "the number of our English dead" ; but another ac- 
count says he lingered for a few months and then died of his 
wounds. 

The Parliament at Machynlleth was held after Henry IV. had 
been foiled in his invasion of Wales In 1402. Pennant says: — 
" The event of his Invasion was very unfortunate. Glyndwr, who 
had too much prudence to hazard a battle against so superior an 
army, retired to the fastnesses of the mountains, drove away the 
cattle, and destroyed every means the English had of subsistence. 
The season proved uncommonly bad, for the very elements seemed 
to have warred against them. A continued course of storms and rains, 
with the continual watching against an enemy ever hovering 
over them, and ready to take every occasion of falling on them 
from the heights, wasted the army with sickness and fatigue, and 
obliged the king once more to make a most inglorious retreat." 



X 



30 MACHYNLLETH. Invasion of Wale*. 

A friend has permitted us to publish the following account 
of the invasion, written after the style of the Ingoldshy 
Legends : — 

King Henry he sent his ambassadors forth 

To the east and the west, to the south and the north, 

Commanding his knights to assemble with speed 

At a place near to London they called Lanrick Meade, 

And when they were there, 

Haying taken the chair, 

He addressed them as follows: — "My friends, you're aware 

That an Insolent varlet called Owen Glendower 

Hasn't paid any rent for this twelve month or more; 

That he jeers my collector whenever he axes 

In the civilest way for his rates and his taxes; 

That when called on for tribute he flatly refuses, 

Or says he'll remit it by post when he chooses; 

That when served with a summons he curses and swears, 

And threatens to kick the high sheriff down stairs; 

That he calls me ill names, which I really won't suffer 

No more, such an upstart, and fogie, and buffer; 

Treats my strictest injunctions with open neglect, 

And, in short, is a varmint in every respect. 

Now, of course such a daring, abusive, undutiful, 

Mean, spiritless outcast deserves to be shot. 

And, I think, as the weather is so very beautiful, 

We'll pay him a visit, and teach him what's what. 
****** 

So King Henry set off with his gallants so gay, 

Their hearts they were bold and their spirits were high, 
They started from London the 13th of May, 

And they got down to Shrewsbury the 1st of July. 
Now the Shrewsbury folks being very well known 
For the loyal attachment they ever have shown 
To all kinds of creatures that sit on the throne, 
As is rightly observed by their poet Shen-stone, 
As soon as they knew by the fifing and drumming, 
That his Highness the King and his nobles were com lag, 
They made a procession so stately and solemn, 
And went out to meet them as far as the Column. 

So far everything went off merrily. The King enjoyed the 
beauty of his loyal county town of Salopia, and anon cei off for 
the Principality:— 

To return to my muttons— their voyage is o'er 

And they stand safe and sound on the Cambrian shore. 

I'm not going to bore you, dear reader, by telling, 

Of their wondrous exploits in the land of Llewelyn; 

How they climb'd the high mountains, explored the deep vales, 

And sketched all the scenery of lovely North Wales; 

How, ten times a minute, or oftener, His Grace 

Exclaimed, "Well, I'm sure, it's a very nice place!" 

How Lord Harry Longlegges and Lord Flash-and-Flame, 

And the rest of the lords, all asserted the same; 

And Hopkins, the poet, became almost frantic, 

And ran about crying, "How very romantic!" 

So that all the king's horses and all the king's men 

Never made such a pleasant invasion till then, 

And in all probability will not again, 

Untroubled by conflicts or warlike alarms; 

For no hordes of Wild Wei. 'mien against them were sent, 



Llyfnant Valley. MACHYNLLETH. 31 

And the sheep, filled with fear at the sight of their amis, 

Retreated before them wherever they went. 
But alack and alas! a change sad and extreme 
Came over the spirit, too soon, of their dream. . 
One unlucky Friday— with sorrow and pain 
I proceed to record It — it came on to rain! 
It rained on the Saturday, it rained on the Sunday, 
It rained every hour of the day on the Monday, 
On Tuesday it rained cats and dogs, as they say, 
And Wednesday was also a very wet day, 
On Thursday and Friday, especially the latter day, 
It rained very hard— but, my gracious! on Saturday 
The rain was most dreadful, a great deal more bad 
Than that of the very worst monarch we've had; 
And King Henry's hot thirst for destruction and slaughter 
Was quenched by this timely supply of cold water. 
And his gallants so gay, and his barons so bold, 
They couldn't catch Glendwr, they only caught cold; 
The soldiers with rain-water up to their knees 
Were very uneasy while " standing at ease," [notes, 

And the trumpets grew hoarse, and would not sound their 
And the fifes seemed all suff'ring from very sore throats, 
The cavalry's brilliant equipments were spoiled, 
And the horses all smoked just as If they'd been boiled; 
And the Scotch Fusiliers, with the captain thereof, 
Were extremely annoyed with a very bad cough; 
And nothing was seen 'mid the Yeomanry Bands 
But blowing of noses and wringing of hands, 
And nothing was heard of the Shropshire Militia 
Night or day, but attisha! attisha \\ attisha!!! 
And a still more tremendous misfortune bef ell- 
Dreadful to hear, and dreadful to tell — 
King Henry himself became rather unwell! 

The bard then recounts, in very pathetic terms, the sufferings 
of his Royal Master, and concludes his ode by an invitation to 
his readers to follow in Henry's track themselves, feeling sure 
that if they do so — during a more propitious summer— they will 
be rewarded for their pains. 

To the Llyfnant Valley. 

For the lovely little Llyfnant Valley (which, for visi- 
tors on the coast, is best approached from Glandovey — not 
Glandovey Junction) walk straight through the town, pass- 
ing the tower erected to celebrate the coming-of-age of the 
present Marquess of Londonderry, and ascend a lane which 
turns off to the left, close to the lodge of Plas Machynlleth, 
the seat of the Dowager Marchioness. When we have reached 
the top of the hill and begin to descend, our way seems plain, 
for two or three white cottages in the distance direct us to 
our goal ; but at one point the road may be missed. It is 
when we have descended through a little wood and reached 
the valley, where a road and stream run down to the right 
towards the Dovey. Our way lies across the stream, avoid- 
ing a road which runs more to the left, and more steeply as- 
cends the hills. A little more than a mile from here Gla&'pwll, 
ft picturesque hamlet, where refreshments can be obtained* 



82 MACHYNLLETH. Llyfnant Valley. 

is reached, in the Llyfnant Valley. Here we turn to the 
left by a road, as a signboard directs, and continue along it 
for eight or ten minutes, when another signboard shows oar 
path, which runs down to a plank bridge over a stream. 
Following the path (not crossing the bridge) for six or seven 
minutes more, we come to a bridge from which the fall is 
seen, and steps can be ascended for a fuller view ; after 
which it is possible to climb (to the left) to the road if we 
wish to visit Pistyll-y-llyn, which, by turning to the right 
along the road, we see in a few minutes, a thin stream des- 
cending from a great height over precipitous rocks. Pistyll- 
y-llyn is still about a mile and a half away ; near by is a 
nouse where travellers who have driven from Machynlleth 
are allowed to put up their horses, while they walk the re- 
mainder of the way. [From near the fall a stiff ascent can be 
made to Llyn Pen Rhaiadr (about 7 m. from Machynlleth). 
Plynlimmon lies to the south-east (four miles as the crow 
flies), and the mountaineer could make his way there, or 
south to Pont Erwyd (some nine or ten miles), and the Devil's 
Bridge. He should, of course, be provided with an ordnance 
map]. 

If the first waterfall is the end of our journey, we might 
return over the (somewhat flimsy) plank bridge, and by a 
path on the west side of the river to Glaspwll, where, cross- 
ing a tributary, for Glandovey, we keep on the left of the 
main stream. When the high road is reached, the station is 
about half-a-mile away to the left. Though this is one of 
the most charming walks in Wales it was only discovered a 
few years ago, by the late Professor Keeping, of the Univer- 
sity College at Aberystwyth, an enterprising geologist, who 
found glacier marks and drifted boulders on which to feast 
his eyes, as well as a wealth of ferns and mosses and butter- 
flies. The Cambrian Railway Company now provide facili- 
ties for visiting the valley from Aberystwyth and other sta- 
tions on the coast, and thousands of people find their way 
there every summer. 

For the benefit of sojourners on the coast, therefore, let us re- 
verse the route. We arrive at Glandovey (not Glandovey Junction) 
station, and follow a lane which runs off to the right from the 
Machynlleth road about half-a-mile in the direction of that town. 
The stream is on our left, and after a while a high rock rises to 
the left, known as Cyfarthfa (the Place of Barking). A little more 
than 2j miles from the Machynlleth road we reach GlaspwU 
hamlet. Here (having crossed the tributary) we can keep on the 
right of the main stream and cross the plank bridge above 
mentioned; or we can cross the main stream at Glaspwll, and 
either take a private footpath past a cottage (where toll, in the 
shape of a glass of milk at least, should be paid), or the road 
where, as we have mentioned before, a signboard directs us to 
the fall. The road to Machynlleth from Glaspwll (2\ m.), runs 
straight from the bridge last mentioned; and remember, instead 



Corris. MACHYNLLETH. 83 

of turning to the left at the point (about a mile from Glaspwll), 
where a stream runs down a valley towards the Dovey, to ascend 
through the trees. The road soon passes to the left of a house, 
and on the top of the hill (where there Is a delightful view) we 
oend to the right, and go down in front of a row of cottage? 

To Corris and Cader Idrls. 

And now for the Corris line, with a gauge of 2 toot d 
inches ; and, if we desire it, a visit to Cader Idris, for the 
conveyances which are provided in the summer in connection 
with the railway will take us almost to the foot of the moun- 
tain. The Corris station-yard at Machynlleth adjoins the 
Cambrian, and the carriages have so much glass and are so 
seated that you can enjoy the scenery in comfort as you 
travel. First crossing the Dovey, the line for the rest of its 
course follows the valley of the Diflas (miscalled on maps, 
&c, Dulas), running between that river and the main road 
to Corris and Dolgelley. The hills rise on each side, the 
river is beautifully fringed with trees, here and there a long 
reach of the stream makes a charming picture, or a tributary 
stream comes tumbling over its stony bed. Beyond Esgair- 
gettiog station a bridge, locally known as Evans's Bridge, 
spans the Diflas at perhaps the most picturesque spot in this 
short journey, and soon afterwards we are at Corris, close 
to the slate quarries, and at the junction of two valleys. The 
line runs on for another mile and a half to Aberllefeni, mak- 
ing its total length 6£ miles; and from Aberllefeni the pe- 
destrian can reach Dolgelley in seven miles by a parish road 
which joins the high road to Dolgelley, then oy that road to 
the Cross Foxes Inn, and thence Dy the " old road." There 
is a shorter walk across a shoulder of Cader Idris, but it in- 
volves a considerable ascent. 

Corris will be the station for the majority of the visitors, 
bent upon seeing Cader, or driving to Dolgelley, or making 
a beautiful round to Towyn, on foot or wheels (for convey- 
ances ply in the season), past Tal-y-llyn lake to another rail- 
way station at Abergynolwyn. ' From Corris station the road 
for Tal-y-llyn — the main Dolgelley road — runs up a valley to 
the left, by the Corris stream. Cader Idris rises in front, 
and seems to shut in the valley, but soon another valley opens 
out. About two miles from Corris our road bends to the left 
from the Dolgelley road, and we approach the lake, which is 
2\ miles from the station. A road runs down the side of the 
lake to hotels and cottages composing the little hamlet of 
Tal-y-llyn, at the other end (3|miles from Corris), and 
then on to Abergynolwyn station (3 miles further). Tal-y- 
llyn, which is eminently a place of rest, is more fully de- 
scribed in our Dolgelley section. 

IF or Cader Idris we take the road to the left mentioned 

B 



34 MACHYNLLETH. To Bar*. 

above, and soon [thus far we might have come by the con- 
veyance] turn to the right, and, passing the top of the 
lake, reach another road, then turn right, and in five min- 
utes left, by a lane leading to Minffordd farm, and take a 
path on the left of a stream (which is broken here and there 
into pretty waterfalls) until we reach the cwm, at the end of 
which is Llyn-y-ca.U 9 in one of the finest bits of Cader. 
[A new path, seen soon after the lane is left, should be 
avoided]. Keeping to the left of the lake, and round the fur- 
ther end of it, we shall find a place to climb, but be careful 
to choose the right one, a grassy hollow, for the lake is sur- 
rounded by lofty and precipitous rocks. It is a very steep 
climb. 

To sum up distances from Corris station:-— To Dolgelley 
by shortest road, 8£ m. (or 7 from Aberllefenni station), by 
driving road, 10J [occasional coach in connection with Cam- 
brian Kailway]; to Minffordd, 3, summit of Cader, 6; to 
Tal-y-llyn Lake, 2J, and village, 3J; to Abergynolwyn sta- 
tion, 6&. 

Another excursion from Machynlleth is to Pennal village 
(4 m.), which is supposed to have been the Roman station of 
Maglona, commemorated by the place-name of Cefn Caer 
(Fort Ridge) ; there is also a tumulus in Talgarth Park. It 
is 12 miles from Machynlleth to Towyn through Pennal and 
by way of a pretty valley called Dyffryn Gwyn. Finally, 
Tal-y-llyn can also be reached in 10 miles from Machynlleth, 
by a good mountain road through Bryn-yr-eglwys to Aber- 
gynolwyn (7 m.) The road crosses the western shoulder of 
Taren-y-gesail, on the ordnance map also called Briddell 
Arw (2,187 feet), and commands a magnificent landscape. 



TTo Bortb an& Hbergstwutb. 

TO continue our journey on the Cambrian Railway, the 
yellow-washed farm-house, Gelli Goeh, which we see in 
a glen on the left, about a mile from Machynlleth, was the 
birthplace of Mrs. Cobden, whose husband, and Mr. Bright, 
were at one time largely interested in the lead mines of the 
neighbourhood. Past Glandovey Junction (where the line to 
Towyn and Barmouth branches off), the Llyfnant stream, 
which divides North from South Wales, Montgomeryshire 
from Cardiganshire, and the Diocese of Bangor from that of 
St. David's, is crossed. The castle we see rising above the 
next station, Glandovey, is a modern building, inhabited, we 
believe, by a descendant of Judge Jeffreys's. Beyond Glan- 
dovey the line runs over a large bog, Cors Fochno, where, as 
we learn from a Welsh folk-tale, once upon a time lived the 



Story of Maehjwn, TO BORTH. 35 

oldest living creature — a toad. The long stretch of sand be- 
tween the railway and the channel of the Dovey, still covered 
with the sea at high tide, is or used to be called Traeth Mael- 

fwn or Maelgwn s Strand, and there — say the old Welsh 
jaws — in the first half of the sixth century, the over-lordship 
of Wales was decided in this wise : — 

Wales was then divided into at least four petty kingdoms; 
and here representatives of each and claimants for the dignity 
met to choose a chief king [brenhin pennaf) as paramount over the 
rest. The tradition is somewhat hazy as to the process of elec- 
tion; but a friend of Maelgwn, named Maeldav, was extremely 
anxious to see his man in power; so he privately prepared " a 
chair of waxed wings," on which he placed Maelgwn. We are 
left to conjecture what line of argument was pursued, but what- 
ever it was, it was ruthlessly cut short by the tide coming in and 
the audience running. Maelgwn alone remained, floating on his 
winged chair; so perhaps he put the question that Maelgwn should 
be supreme king, and It was carried netn. eon. At any rate su- 
preme he became, " and the earls of Mathraval, Dynevor, and 
Caerleon on TJsk "—i.e., the princes of Powys and South Wales— 
" subject to him." King Canute and his courtiers, a few centuries 
later, were not half so clever ; and probably this is the first literal 
instance on record where taking the tide at the flood led on to 
fortune. Some folks believe that Shakespeare visited Wales. We 
wonder whether this incident originated the fine passage which 
it suggests! 

On the other side of the line the traveller catches a 
glimpse of Lodge Park, a mile away, among the trees, on 
the brow of a hill. It was once the residence of Sir Hugh 
Myddelton, who brought the New River to London, and 
farmed the royal mines of Cardiganshire. We have spoken 
of the tide at this point, and it will have been observed that 
the Dovey became a tidal river soon after we left Machyn- 
lleth. Across the estuary we see Aberdovey, and in a min- 
ute or two stop at Ynys-lds station. Leaving Tnys-las (the 
Green Isle) we lose the Dovey, which is lost itself in a very 
few minutes, being merged in Cardigan Bay; and here, in 
clear weather, Plynlimmon may be seen, rearing its unpre- 
tentious summit a little way above the hills on the left. 
Our next halt is at Borth, and on the rising ground across 
the level stretch of land to our left lies the village of Tre' 
Taliesin, commonly called Taliesin; and thereby hangs a 
tale. 

In olden times Prince Gwyddno Garanhir (Longshanks) had 
a castle at a spot now about seven miles out in the bay, as 
well as a fishing weir at Aber Leri (the old name of Borth), where 
a hundred pounds' worth of fish was wont to be taken on the eve 
of May^day every year. This Gwyddno had a son Elphin, one of 
the most unfortunate and needy young men that ever lived, who, 
on that account, was a constant source of grief and sorrow to his 
father. The story of Taliessin's birth, and the marvellous inci- 
dents connected with it, as given in the strange " Story of 
Taliessln," published in the Myvyrian Archaiclogy and Lady G. 
Guest's Mabtnoqion, would occupy too much space here. Suffice 



86 BOETH. TalieMin* 

it to say that his mother, Ceridwen, immediately after his birth, 
placed him in a leathern bag, and committed him to the mercy 
of the waves in Cardigan Bay. This was on the 29th of April. 
That year Gwyddno granted his son the drawing of the weir to 
see if good luck would ever befal him, and haply enable him to 
make a start in the world. On May-day morning, when Elphin 
came to see what had been taken, misfortune still followed him. 
Not a single fish could he find, but he perceived a bag entangled 
in the poles of the weir, and sent one of his men to examine it, 
observing at the same time, " Perhaps after all there may be 
therein the value of a hundred pounds." After opening the bag 
the man, on discovering within it a beautiful child, exclaimed, 
"Llyma Dal iesin!" ("Here is a pretty brow!"). "Taliessin let 
his name be, then," said Elphin; and mounting his horse, he 
rode home, taking up the child, who kept his seat behind him as 
firmly as if he had been in an easy chair, and beguiled the 
tedium of the journey by reciting an ode consoling Elphin on his 
seeming evil fortune. Some say that Elphin had the lad, like 
Moses, instructed in all the learning of the ancients; so that he 
became the prophetic poet of Wales and (as he calls himself in 
one of his poems) " Chief of the Bards of the West." Many won- 
derful things are recorded of Taliessin; but, as he is mentioned 
in a little chronicle written in the 7th and 8th centuries, as hav- 
ing been one of several celebrated Welsh poets who lived in the 
6th century, there is no solid reason to doubt his existence. It 
is evident, however, that, like Arthur, he early became the 
gathering-centre of much myth and folk-lore, and also the re- 
puted author of much comparatively recent poetry. He is even 
mentioned in the chronicles of Brittany, where (see for instance 
the Chronique of Pierre le Baud) he is called " le flls Onis satyri- 
que." The " Story of Taliessin," partly summarized above, is 
first found in a MS. about 300 years old. For the most part it 
is obviously mythical or legendary ; and one episode in it has its 
counterpart in the Adventures of the Second Calender in the 
Arabian Nights. 

Borttl is a quiet village, with a great stretch of level coun- 
try behind it ; but for invigorating sea breezes some people 
think there are few places like it, and not a few visitors who 
have once rambled along its four miles of sand return to it 
year after year. Besides a large hotel, there ara a number 
of comfortable lodging houses close to the shore ; facilities 
are provided for bathing ; and there are Golf Links near the 
hotel. On the beach the remains of a former forest point to 
a time when what is now the bed of the ocean was dry land, 
and engineers will be interested in seeing the attempts made 
at Borth by means of groynes to keep out the sea, which 
seems inclined to make further inroads. Indeed, tradition 
affirms that when certain "three stones" are found Borth will 
be swallowed up by the waves as were Gwyddno's fabled do- 
mains, or the Cornish Lyonesse. Starting along the sands 
in a northerly direction vou can make your way in a little 
over three miles to the snore opposite Aberdovey, following 
the line of poles where the roadway ends, and at low tide hail 
a ferry from that town, which can otherwise only be reached 
by a journey of 14 miles. 



Excursions. BORTH. 97 

At the south end of the long Tillage bold cliffs rise from 
the shore. A road runs up this rising ground, and to the 
right over the rocks is Pen-y-wylfa, from which there is a 
glorious view, including Snowdon and Cader Idris on the 
north and Plynlimmon on the east. In less than two miles 
from Borth, along the road we have mentioned, a path leads 
to the right, into a little valley, then crosses a stream near 
Wallog, and runs parallel with the beach ; in a mile or so it 
skirts Olarach Bay, and it enters Aberystwyth by Constitu- 
tion Hill, a beautiful walk of six miles from Borth. Near 
Wallog lies Sam Cynfelyn (St. Cynfelyn's Causeway), which is 
worth mentioning, not because there is anything remarkable 
to see, but because it is one of several " sarns " on the west 
coast, which were once supposed to be causeways in a large 
tract of submerged land, but are now classed among natural 
formations. During the calm, warm days of July and August 
good sport may be obtained at low tide in catching crabs, 
lobsters, and prawns among the reefs between Borth and 
Aberystwyth, but visitors must consult the Sea Fisheries By- 
laws as to the size of the crabs and the mesh of the prawn- 
nets. From Borth, or from Aberystwyth, pleasant excur- 
sions may be made to several beautiful places on and near 
the Aberystwyth and Machynlleth road. 

To Bedd Taliesln, the Clettwr Valley, etc. 

Tal-y-bont (21 miles from Llanflhangel station), for Bedd Talies- 
ln, Tre'r Dd61 (3 miles from Ynys-las station), for the Clettwr 
Valley, and Furnace fall (1J mile from Glandovey), can all of them 
be visited in a walk of about a dozen miles. From Borth there 
is the choice of three routes to Tal-y-bont and the Grave of Talies- 
sin: by the Uppingham School footpath (which was constructed 
chiefly with the subscriptions of the masters and boys of Upping- 
ham School, who in 1878 took temporary possession of the Borth 
Hotel), 4 miles to Tal-y-bont; by rail to Ynys-las, or by rail to 
Llanflhangel. The best way, perhaps, is to go by rail to Llan- 
flhangel and return from Ynys-las. From Aberystwyth public 
conveyances run in the summer time to Tal-y-bont, or a car 
can be driven to the grave (about 9 miles); or, if the train Is 
taken to Llanflhangel, it is a walk of four miles to the grave. 
Walkers from Llanflhangel turn to the left (on the left of the sta- 
tion coming from Borth), avoid a turn to the left and in 2* miles 
reach Tal-y-bont, a prettily-situated village, where the process 
of making Welsh flannel may be seen. Going quite to the other 
end of the village, you will And a lane on the right, which gradu- 




and you come to Bedd Taliesin, the reputed "Grave of Taliessin," 
a fine site for it, with a view of the estuary of the Dovey and the 
mountains beyond. [A much more extensive view may be obtained 
by following the road for another mile or a little more, and then 
climbing Moel-y-gaer (1,377 feet), the site of an ancient encamp- 
ment]. 

To go to the Clettwr Valley and Tre 'r Ddol from the grave, fol- 
low the road towards Moel-y-gaer for a few yards, cross a stile oft 



88 ABERYSTWYTH. Excursions. 

the left, and go along a path as straight as yon can to a farm. 
There the way lies between the farmhouse and the buildings, and 
then to the right (on the left of the buildings). A path runs 
down the left side of the fine Clettwr Valley to Tre 'r Dddl; but 
part of the way down it is possible to descend a steep slope to 
the stream, on which you will see a pretty little fall. (There is 
another higher up the valley). The village is then reached by a 
path near the stream; and now, if we return by the shortest 
walking route, we go through Llancynfelyn to Ynys-l&s station 
(3 m). 

If we had come along the Machynlleth road from Tal-y-bont to 
Tre 'r Dd61 we should have passed through Taliesin, and the 
road is well worth pursuing to Glandovey, for it is pleasant and 
attractive all the way, much of it well wooded, with glimpses 
here and there of the estuary and the distant hills. Half-a- 
mile from Tre 'r Dddl the entrance to Lodge Park is passed, and 
in less than three miles Furnace Bridffe, with its fall, is 
reached. Furnace is so called, because, about the year 1755, an 
English company came here to smelt iron ore, and one of the 
old buildings still remains close above the bridge. There are 
other waterfalls in Cwm Einon, the valley above Furnace, 
which is also called " the Artists' Valley," and is well worth ex- 
ploring. It can be reached by turning to the right by a lane on 
the Machynlleth side of the bridge. Leaving Furnace, we soon 
pass Eglwys-fach village, and in another mile and a quarter 
reach Glandovey station. 

Beyond Borth, the first station on the railway to Aberyst- 
wyth is Llanfihangel, for the village of Llanfihangel-geneu'r- 
glyn ; the next, Bow-street/ The line skirts Gogerddan Park 
and passes Llanbadarn Church. The antiquary should note 
that above Llanfihangel Church (right) is the site of an an- 
cient stronghold, and that there is a large encampment, Yr 
Hdn Gaer, on the hill to the left as he passes Bow-street. 



I 



Hbcrsstwstb. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By flood.— Allt-wen Cliffs, 2 m.; Monk's Cave, 6 (oan be 
reached by boat, and from Llanrhystyd Road station, 4 
m.); Llanychaiarn Church, 2£ m. ; Clarach Valley, 2; Tal- 

-bont, 1\ (or 2£ from Llanfihangel station) ; Bedd Taliesin, 

; Clettwr Valley, 9| (or 3 from Ynys-las station [see under 
Borth]); Devil's Bridge, 11J m. (publio conveyances); Pont 
Erwyd, 12; 'Steddfa Gurig, 16| (nearest point to summit 
of Plynllmmon); Llanidloes 30; Borth (by the Coast Walk 
previously described), 6; Aberaeron, 16. 

By Rail.— [Where the distance by rail exceeds one figure, 
say 8, we give the next highest, 9]. Llanfihangel, 6 m. (for 
Bedd Taliesin, 4); Borth, 9; Ynys-las, 11 (for Clettwr Val- 
ley, 3) ; Glandovey, 16 (for Furnace Fall, Ac, l\ [see under 
Borth], for Llyfnant Valley, 6, there and back [see under 
Machynlleth]); Machynlleth, 21; Shrewsbury, 82; Whit- 
Church. 98; Conris, 26 (for summit of Cader, 6, Tal-y-Ilyr 



Constitution BUI. AfcEkYSTWWH. & 

3J, Abergynolwyn, 6§, whence It is 7 by rail to Towyn); 
Aberdovey, 23; Towyn, 27; Barmouth, 39; Dolgelley, 45; 
Harlech, 49; Llanrhystyd Road, 3 (for Monk's Cave, 4); 
Llanilar, 6 (for Castle Hill, an ancient encampment); 
Trawscoed, 9 (for Devil's Bridge, 7); Strata Florida, 14 (for 
the Abbey, 3); Tregaron, 20. 

ABERYSTWYTH (winter population 8,013) has long been 
one of the favourite watering places of Wales. David 
Cox painted its beautiful bay, Sir Astley Cooper and other 
fashionable physicians sounded abroad the virtues of its 
health-giving air, and in the days of stage coaches it al- 
ready attracted numbers of English visitors. Lodging houses 
are plentiful on the long Marine Terrace, where they face 
the sea, and in the streets of the town ; nor is there any 
scarcity of hotels. For sea-bathing every facility is provided, 
the local authorities have spent money freely to bring water 
from Llyn Llygad Rheidol, near the summit of Plynhmmon, 
and to increase the attractions of Aberystwyth for people in 
search of health, and the town is becoming increasingly 
popular as a winter residence. The terrace and the princi- 
pal parts of the town are lighted with electricity. 

The Marine Terrace is some three quarters of a mile long, 
and within a few yards of the sea, and the beach, largely 
composed of pebbles, where it is a favourite pastime of some 
visitors to search for " precious stones," also supplies beds 
of sand, where youthful navvies and architects can find 
delightful amusement. The promenade pier, which runs 
out from the terrace, is a pleasant resort; a pavilion 
erected in connection with it accommodates 2,000 people, 
and in the season musical and dramatic entertainments are 
given there. At the north end of the terrace are the Craig- 
Iais Rocks and Cove, which are well worth seeing, particu- 
larly when the flowing tide breaks over the reefs. Here, too, 
is Constitution Hill, which has been laid out in cliff-gardens, 
with kiosks, reading room, pavilion, and band-stand ; and 
music can be enjoyed in summer weather on this breezy 
height. In the way of amusement, indeed, few sea-side re- 
sorts are better off than Aberystwyth, where the local Im- 
provement Company has spent over £100,000. It is not far 
to the top of Constitution Hill, but a railway, with cars 
worked on the water-balance principle, will carry you up, 
and invalids can thus reach a spot where the air is bracing, 
and the scenery is fine. From tne hill pedestrians could con- 
tinue their walk by the road, some seven miles, to Borth. 
They will find hedges laden with roses and honeysuckle in 
their season. If not inclined to wander so far, they can turn 
to the right when they descend into the Clarach Valley from 
Constitution Hill, and by keeping to the right take a de 
lightful walk through the Cwm woods, and back to the town 



±0 AfeEfeYStWYtfi. the Castle. 

by Pen-glais Hill, a total distance of about four miles. 
Llangorwen Church (a work of Butterfield's) is in the Clarach 
valley. 

Anglers may obtain sport in the Dovey at Machynlleth, 
the Teifi at Tregaron, and in some of the mountain lakes ; 
they can catch bass from the rocks at Aberystwyth ; and 
mackerel, gurnet, and other sea fish, from a boat. Boating 
in the bay, of course, is one of the enjoyments of the place ; 
and golfers have their links on a plateau on Pen Dinas, 
where a nine-hole course has been laid down. At Borth, not 
far away, there is an eighteen-hole course, to reach which 
special facilities are given by the Cambrian Railway. The 
Aberystwyth and Borth Clubs have united, and there are 
frequent medal competitions on the Borth Links. 

The first attraction of Aberystwyth next to the beach is 
the Castle ruins and grounds. The ruins stand above the 
sea, westward of the town, upon a little rocky promontory, 
reached by a gentle walk. The view of Pembrokeshire, 
south, and Carnarvonshire, north, which bound Cardigan 
Bay, is seen to perfection on this spot, for we stand about 
mid-way between the extreme points of the bay, and have the 
curving shore in view a good part of the distance. Of course 
the look-out north is the most charming, for it includes the 
hills which rise round the estuary of the Dovey, and far 
beyond ; with the Rivals, Moel Hebog, and Snowdon, on 
clear days. 

A castle "opposite Llanbadarn near the mouth of the river called 
Ystwyth" was erected by Gilbert Strongbow, Earl of Striguil (Chep- 
stow) and Pembroke, about 1109. He had been authorised by Henry 
I. to conquer Ceredigion (Cardiganshire) from Cadwgan ap Bleddyn ; 
and, having done so, he built his castle and that of Kilgerran (near 
Cardigan) to secure his conquest. In 1113 Gruflydd ap Rhys marched 
his followers up to Aberystwyth to storm the castle, but un- 
fortunately encamped for a night at Llanbadarn, where he irri- 
tated the monks by injuring their church and " commandeering " 
their live stock for food, and gave Gilbert time to send to Ystrad 
Meurig for reinforcements. The night's delay was fatal; and the 
curses of the Church, added to the spears of the Normans, des- 
troyed nearly the whole of the Welsh band. In 1135 Gruflydd ap 
Cynan, King of North Wales, sent his sons to try their fortunes 
upon the walls of the stronghold, and it fell before them. There 
are some reasons for believing that this early castle was not on 
the same site as the present one, which, as is often pointed out, 
is, in spite of its name, situate at the mouth (dber) of the Rheidol, 
and can never have been at the mouth of or on the Ystwyth. In 
the account of the fight of 1113 we are told that Gruflydd encamped 
at " Ystrad (i.e., the Vale of) Antarron, which was opposite the 
castle. And the castle was set on the top of a hill that sloped to 
the river Ystwyth, on which was a bridge." Now Antarron is 
still the name of a house where the roads meet, a mile from the 
town, on the way to Devil's Bridge ; from which point the ground 
slopes down to the Ystwyth. Moreover, about 1163, we hear 
of the destruction of the " Castle of Aber Rheidol " ; this would ap- 
pear to be the present Castle, to which the name of an older, but 



Llanladarn. ABERYSTWYTH. 41 

abandoned, castle on the Ystwyth may possibly have been trans- 
ferred. At any rate, the castle which was destroyed and again 
re-built about 1207 is called Aberystwyth Castle, and this was 
the name that survived. We have no room to follow the early 
history of the buildings and burnings of the unlucky place. We 
must not omit, however, to say that the inevitable Owen Glen- 
dower, when he made Plynlimmon his head-quarters in 1402, 
turned his eye on the Castle, which was then in the hands of the 
English, and took it ; and from Owen's time we take a leap to the 
year 1637, when we find Charles I., hopeful from the accounts he 
had received of silver discovered in the Welsh mountains, author- 
izing a mint to be erected in the Castle. The coin made of this 
ore was stamped with a feather on each side, and specimens may 
now be seen in the College Museum. An Aberystwyth shilling 
realised £10 some years ago at a sale of coins in London. The 
last scene of all in this eventful history of the Castle is the advent 
of another " inevitable "—Cromwell— who, through Colonel Rice 
Powell, dismantled the fortress, of which only a few fragments re- 
main. 

Near the Castle is the University College of Wales, one V 
of the constituent colleges of the University of Wales, which 
began its work in 1895, and of which the King, then Prince of 
Wales, was here installed Chancellor, with great ceremonial, 
in 1896. Mr. Gladstone travelled from Hawarden to accept an v 
honorary degree, his last appearance at a public ceremony ; 
and the Princess of Wales (now the Queen) had the first de- 
gree of the new University conferred upon her, and received 
the diploma of Doctor of Music. Her Royal Highness after- 
wards opened the Alexandra Hall of Residence for Women, 
on the Victoria Terrace. The college, opened in 1872, was 
fortunate enough to secure, for £10,000, the building of the 
Castle Hotel, which had cost £80,000 ; in 1885 the greater 
part of the structure was destroyed by fire, but it was soon 
restored by the generous help of the Welsh people. The 
number of students in 1901 was 484, of whom 209 were 
women. The visitor to the college will be chiefly attracted 
by the museum, which already contains many objects of con- 
siderable value and interest, illustrating the industry and 
archaeology of Wales; the fee (6d.) for inspection goes to 
form a Visitors' Scholarship. 

L I a.n bad a. rn Fawr is a little over a mile to the south- 
east of Aberystwyth. Its church, which has been restored 
in recent years, was founded by Padarn, or Paternus, a Bre- 
ton saint of the sixth century, and companion of St. Cadfan. 
The chancel contains monuments of the families of Pryse of 
Gogerddan and Powell of Nant-eos, as well as of Lewis Mor- 
ris, the antiquary, great-grandfather of the author of the 
" Epic of Hades." 

On the side of the walk In front of the entrance to the church 
are two ancient stones, one of which is called Carreg Samson, ap- 
parently after the Samson who was one of the four persons (an- 
other was St. Gwnws of Uanwnwg) whom St. Padarn set over th« 



42 1 ABERYSTWYTH. Monk't Cave. 

churches of what is now Cardiganshire. There is a stone with 
the same name on the mountain near Llanddewi Brefl. Before 
St. Padarn's time the district where the church was built is said 
to have been called " Campus (in Welsh Maes) Heli " (from heli, 
"brine or salt water"). This name was translated into Marititna 
and similar Latin adjectives, one of which the MS. " Life of St. 
Padarn " corrupts into Mauritana I 

The chimney-like monument we see on the hill, Pen Dinas, 
to the south of Aberystwyth, was erected in honour of Wel- 
lington and Waterloo. Leaving the town by Bridge-street, 
crossing the Rheidol, and passing under the railway bridge, 
we turn to the left, and in about 200 yards ascend the hill by 
a path which begins close to a white house. The view from 
the top includes the Rheidol and Ystwyth valleys, Plynlim- 
mon, rising over the right of Llanbadarn ; Cader Idris, ris- 
ing over the houses to the right of Pen Dinas ; Snowdon, far 
away to the north, over the town, with the line of hills run- 
ning down the Peninsula of Lleyn — the Rivals, the peaked 
Cam Madryn, and the long Mynydd Rhiw being especially 
conspicuous — and ending in Bardsey Isle ; and to the south 
the Preselly Hills and the coast of Pembrokeshire, ending 
in Strumble Head. 

Another walk in the same direction leads to fine scenery south 
of the town. For this walk, after crossing the Eh e idol, the road 
to the right, beginning near some limekilns before the railway 
bridge is reached, must be taken. The road runs along the south 
side of the harbour, and, across a bridge over the Ystwyth, near 
the (artificial) junction of the rivers, to a stone pier. Then a road 
strikes across the mouth of the Ystwyth valley to Al It-wren Cliffs* 
There is a path up the hill, but this is barred against the public, 
and if you wish to ascend from the shore you must (at the proper 
condition of the tide) continue along the stony beach for some 
distance, until you come to a steep grassy slope with a low cliff 
of shale to the right of it. It is a stiff climb, and the following 
route is to be preferred. After leaving the pier by the road we 
have described, we shall find a path running along the bank of 
the Ystwyth, and leading to a road which continues near the river 
to Llanychaiarn Church [from which the return might be made 
by Llanrhystyd Road station, about a mile distant, or by retrac- 
ing our steps to a bridge over the Ystwyth, and crossing it to join 
the highway, a walk of 2* miles to the town]. For Allt-wen, we 
turn to the right at the church, in two or three minutes cross a 
stile on the left, follow a path which runs on the left of a hedge 
(crossing other stiles) to a farm, and then turn left by a lane 
which runs up to a gate admitting to the open hill-side. Then we 
climb soon to the summit of Allt-wen (441 feet), and can wander 
about the gorse-covered cliffs, in a fine solitude (for few people 
come here), the sea on one side, low hills on the other, and the 
big mountains in the distance. The mountain view is much the 
same as that which we see from Pen Dinas. 

The walk along the top of the cliffs can be continued, with 
some difficulty, for three miles or so, to the Egg Rock and the 
Monk's Cave, which well deserve a visit; or they may be 
reached along the beach if the state of the tide permits, and the 
p«Hlp«trinn r?o<»«« not mind " a few stones." The Egg Rock stands 
on the beach, like an egg on end, and marks the site of the cave. 



A Dduge. ABEBYSTWYTH. 48 

which recently has been named the Monk's Cave, because the 
neighbouring farm house is called Mynachty-ar-graig, "the Monk's 
House on the Rock"; why, no one knows. But the easier way 
of visiting this spot is by boat from Aberystwyth, or by taking 
the Aberaeron mall cart, leaving it at a horse-pond whioh is seen 
after passing the fifth mile-stone, and there following a lane down 
to the beach. This mail cart, by the way, is famous in local 
annals. In days gone by the driver used to divide his passengers 
into first, second, and third class. First class passengers rode all 
the way, the second walked up the hills, and the third not only 
walked but pushed the car. 

Aberystwyth has not much in itself to attract the anti- 
quary. Plas Crug, a castellated house near the railway 
station, has been traditionally associated with several his- 
toric events, but on very slender foundations. Most of the 
building, including the tower, is of comparatively modern 
date. But there is one story of a great disaster hereabouts 
which will interest everybody. It is the legend of the loss 
of Cantref-y-gwaelod (the Hundred of the Bottom) by 
Gwyddno Garanhir, whom we have already mentioned. 

According to the story the place on which the town stands was 
once inland country, and the inhabitants, like those of Holland, 
were "only saved by being dammed!" But the carelessness of a 
tipsy custodian named Seithennin brought about a huge disaster. 
Cantref-y-gwaelod, stretching for miles where water now rolls, is 
said to have been once a rich and thriving domain, cultivated 
and inhabited by a numerous population, dwelling in villages and 
towns, cities and seaports; but one day the sea was let through 
the embankments, overwhelmed the territory, and formed Cardi- 
gan Bay. Such is the now current form of the legend, as worked 
up into an imitation of history by some generations of Welsh 
literati. But (as Professor Rhys points out in an address to the 
Folk-lore Society) "this is not the old legend; which speaks of a 
well, and lays the blame on a woman — a pretty sure sign of anti- 
quity, as you may judge from other old stories which will readily 
occur to you." Here the Professor does not merely mean to refer 
to that third chapter of Genesis which we all have reason to re- 
member, but to such legends as that of Lough Neagh, which was 
formed by its custodian, a woman named Liban, omitting to keep 
the cover on a certain magic well she had in charge ; or the cele- 
brated Breton one of the destruction of Kaer Is, or the City of Is, 
where the woman who let in the waters of the sea is named 
Dahut, and the city lies under the waves off the iron-bound coast 
of the Pointe du Raz. The genuine form of this Welsh legend Is 
only preserved in a fine poem ascribed to Gwyddno, and addressed 
to Seithennin, who is called on to " stand forth and behold the 
vanguard of the main! It has covered the Plain of Gwyddno!** 
The poet then curses the maiden, who (like Dahut) "let it loose 
after feasting, the well-servant of the high sea." A woman (sup- 
posed to be the one who let in the waters) then chants " over 
noble wines, from the city's height, summoning folk from their 
chambers," the keen or coronach of the doomed land, in some 
striking lines, one of which, "After overweening-ness cometh long 
death" (Gnawd gwedi traha trangc hir), passed into a Welsh pro- 
verb. And even in the present day a deep drawn sigh is likened 
by dwellers on the coast to the sigh which escaped from Gwyddno 
Garanhir when the waters broke over his land. As for Gwyddno, 
he is traditional I'' dentified with a person o! the same name who 



44 ABERYSTWYTH. Strata Florid* 

was prince of the district north of the Dovey estuary, about 
600, and father (or possibly grandfather) to the Idris whom we 
shall mention later on. But Gwyddno was not a rare name, and 
it is doubtful whether they are meant for the same person. As for 
Seithennin, it really seems passing hard that, after the sea took 
away his lands, his countrymen should add Insult to Injury by tak- 
ing away his character, and making him a person fit to " point a 
moral or adorn a tale " for the benefit of the youthful teetotaller. 
He is called in Welsh documents of the 12th century (before 
the fable of his intemperance became current) " Seithennin of 
the weak understanding," and " Seithennin the king, of Maes 
Gwyddno "—the name given in the poem above quoted to the 
Inundated region. He is also made to be the father of several 
Welsh saints, Including St. Tudno; a similar saintly offspring is 
given to Helig ap Glannog, whose reputed lands lie under the sea 
between Puffin island and Penmaen-mawr. The Welsh Triad that 
speaks of Seithennin as a drunkard is late and of no authority; 
and the modern rendering of the legend seems largely to have 
arisen from the mistranslation of the word morvin in the old 
poem, now morwyn, " a maid," as though it stood for mor-fin, 
u sea-brink," which was translated " embankment." 

The Llyfnant Valley, etc. 

Many pleasant excursions can be made in a day from Aber- 
ystwyth, including a visit to Barmouth and the Estuary of 
the Mawddach, and to Dolgelley, C orris, or Abergynolwyn, 
for the ascent of Cader Idris, the foot of which can be 
reached, via Machynlleth and Corris, in two hours. The 
Llyfnant Valley, which we describe in the Machynlleth sec- 
tion, is the goal of a delightful walk from Glandovey station, 
from which also Furnace Fall and another pretty valley 
can be easily reached (see p. 38). Bedd Taliesin and the 
Clettwr Valley (for which conveyances run to Tal-y-bont 
from Aberystwyth) are mentioned on page 37. Pedestrians 
could see both in a walk of less than nine miles, by taking 
the train to Llanfihangel and returning from Ynys-las. 

Strata Florida Abbey. 

By the south line, the " Manchester and Milford " (so- 
called because it was one link of a scheme, which failed, for 
connecting those places by the most direct route) facilities 
are afforded for visiting Llanilar, which has a British en- 
campment, Trawscoed (see p. 49), which is in beautiful coun- 
try, and the interesting ruins of Strata Florida Ab- 
bey. The ruins of this abbbey have given the name to a 
railway station ; though one cannot see why the station 
should not have been called "Ystrad Meurig," after the 
neighbouring village, prettily standing in its trees on the hill 
to the left, and famous in Wales for its Grammar School, 
with which some notable Welshmen have been associated. 

A more ancient abbey called Ystrad Ffiur (the Vale of Fflur) 
Is said to have stood on the banks of the brook Fflor, about twq 



r 

j DeviC* Bridge. ABERYSTWYTH. 45 

i 

miles distant from the present ruin, at a place still called Yr Hen 
Fynachlog, I.e., the Old Monastery, and when the greater founda- 
tion arose, In the 12th century, the monks Latinized the old name 
just as they did In the case of Strata Marcella, near Welshpool. 
(The word ystrad has nothing to do with strata or gtratum,the word 
for which in Welsh is nam; hut Fft&r was well translated Florida, 
as it is a loan-word in Welsh from the Latin Flora, or Hon, florin, and 
was used both in the sense of brightness or bloom and as a per- 
sonal name). Who the founder was either of the first or second 
abbey is still a matter of controversy. During the conflict with 
Owen Glendower in 1401 the abbey was occupied by Henry, Prince 
of Wales. But, earlier in its history, in the reign of Edward I., it 
seems to have been burnt, and finally the monastery was dissolved 
by Henry VIII. The traditional history of the abbey is large. Poets 
sang there, and princes were buried within its precincts, and it 
Is there that the oldest and best version of the Welsh *' Chronicle 
of the Princes " was compiled. For a long period little more than 
one solitary arch remained to mark the spot where so much of the 
history of South Wales was once concentrated, but excavations 
made under the direction of Mr. Stephen Williams of Rhayader 
have revealed more extensive remains, and some very beautiful 
architectural fragments. The work of excavation began in the 
early summer of 1887. A large portion of the building, including 
several chapels with beautiful tesselated pavement in situ, and 
the chapter house, as well as the richly-moulded bases of the 
chancel arch, and a number of monks' graves of early date, was 
cleared, and the main features were made out. The details have 
been declared to be equal to those of our finest English cathedrals, 
and Strata Florida Abbey must have been one of the largest and 
grandest of the ecclesiastical buildings of Wales. 

Two miles up the stream which runs past the ruins the Teifl 
Lake, situated amid wild scenery, is reached ; and in the village of 
Pont-rhyd-fendigaid (the Bridge of the Blessed Ford; colloqui- 
ally called " Bont " in this district), through which we passed 
on our way to Strata Florida, a spring of chalybeate water has 
been discovered. 

The Devil's Bridge. 

But the great show-place of the neighbourhood is the 
Devil's Bridge and the magnificent scenery that surrounds 
it. The visitor will find plenty of opportunities for making 
the visit, in vehicles of all sorts and sizes, and at a remark- 
ably cheap rate (but a railway is in course of construction). 
The shortest distance by driving road is 11£ miles. 

For pedestrians the nearest way (7 m.) is from Trawscoed station. 
After leaving the station and crossing the Ystwyth, turn to the 
left and follow the Aberystwyth road for about half-a-mile, then 
take the first road to the right, and the third to the left— a steep 
lane which leads up past a cottage and alongside a stream to the 
open hill-side, from which there is a delightful retrospect towards 
Trawscoed. Still higher we skirt a small lake, and come in sight 
of another lake, half-a-mile or so to the right. Passing through a 
farm yard, we get into the lanes which descend towards the Devil's 
Bridge. 

The road usually taken from Aberystwyth runs along an 
elevated ridge on the south of the Rheidol Valley and com- 
mands a succession of fine views. Leaving the town by 
Bridge-street, and crossing the Rheidol, the road runs to the 



46 ABERYSTWYTH. DeviTs Bridge. 

left of Pen Dinas, and in a little more than a mile from the 
town divides into several branches at a spot marked "Picca- 
dilly" on the ordnance map, where the two roads on the 
right have to be avoided. The earlier views, which include 
Llanbadarn, are not particularly striking, and the valley is 
not much seen at first. Beyond the fourth milestone a 

Slimpse is caught of the opening of the woody Vale of Melin- 
wr (down which we shall come in the return journey), and 
two peaks of Plynlimmon, and then we lose signt of the val- 
ley again ; but its beauties once more reveal themselves : 
near the seventh milestone a long reach comes into view, 
and we proceed with a charming panorama before us. Soon 
after the eighth milestone is passed the side of a rock across 
the valley presents a very good representation of a deer; 
and at the ninth milestone, when an altitude of nearly a 
thousand feet has been reached, it is worth while to descend 
the crest of the hill from the road, and have a peep at the 
view from there. The last part of the journey is uninter- 
esting, until, suddenly, a turn of the road reveals some of 
the glories of the Devil's Bridge. 

Carriages usually return to Aberystwyth via Pont Erwyd and 
Capel Bangor (15 m.) The scenery between the Devil's Bridge and 
Pont Erwyd is wild and romantic, and the inn at Pont Erwyd 
stands just above a charming gorge on the Rheldol, which the 
tourist should leave his carriage to see. 

The Devil's Bridge (in Welsh Pont-y-Gwr-Drwg, 
"the Bridge of the Evil One") has been variously described, 
and at times in language so nearly approaching the sublime 
as to verge on the ridiculous. But Wordsworth, who was 
here in 1824, has left on record his impressions of the scene 
in a sonnet. Wordsworth, it is true, saw the falls to per- 
fection, after heavy rain, but at all times the glen at the 
Devil's Bridge is one of the most remarkable scenes in Wales. 
The devil, by all accounts, seems to have had a great deal 
to do with bridge-building in olden times, for we read of 
several structures which he had a hand in erecting, and the 
tradition connected with the famous bridge on the St. 
Gothard road in Switzerland is so like that told in Car- 
diganshire, that Longfellow's version in the Golden Legend 
might serve for the two. 

According to a tradition supported by no sort of evidence, 
the bridge was erected by the monks of Strata Florida, because 
(it is added) a young monk lost his life In trying to cross the 
chasm on his way to a hospice in North Wales. Legendary history 

f>oints to the fact that the monks had as much to do with the devil 
n bygone ages as, according to the ultra-Protestant theory, they 
have now-a-days. One writer, more witty than antiquarian, sug- 
gests that his Satanic Majesty, in the form of a priest, might have 
built the bridge during a fit of indigestion, because, as we know, 
M When the devil was sick, the devil a monk would be ; " and a 



DeviTs Bridge. ABERYSTWYTH. 47 

tourist of a hundred years ago amusingly suggests that " per- 
haps it acquired the name of the DeviTt Bridge from being what 
the modern beau would call • a devilish inconvenient one/ " 
The bridge is also called in Welsh Pont-ar-Fynach, which means 
the Bridge over the Mynach River. Mynach is the Welsh word 
for a monk, and this stream, like others of the same name in 
Wales, must originally have been so designated from some monk 
or monks; but the name by which the bridge is sometimes said 
to be called, Pont-y-mynach, i.e., the Monk's Bridge, is abso- 
lutely unknown, and seems to have been invented in order to 
make the name of the bridge accord with the baseless tradition 
given above. One writer thinks the bridge was built by the 
Knights Hospitallers, who at one time were large owners of pro- 
perty in the neighbourhood, and he defends his theory by very 
strong conjectures. There is a modern bridge built over the old 
one, and it is satisfactory to know that travellers of the present 
age no not patronize the devil's work. 

There is an hotel near the bridge (635 feet above the sea) 
and the view from the windows " is exceedingly lovely. Im- 
mediately below, and only separated from the house by the 
road, is a profound chasm, the almost perpendicular sides of 
which are covered with trees. Down the slope of this abyss 
runs the river Mynach, its roaring tide hidden from the eye 
by the deep shades of surrounding woods. In front of the 
hotel is seen the Rheidol rushing down a chasm in the rocks." 
The Mynach falls, of which there are several, may be visited 
without a showman, though with a fee (Is.) The deepest is 
down a perpendicular precipice of 114 feet. The total ac- 
cumulation of falls, running into each other, so to speak, is 
314 feet, and the rocks on either side, clothed with brush- 
wood, rise to a great height. Plenty of time should be al- 
lowed for exploring, or half the beauties of the place will be 
missed. After crossing the county bridge above the Devil's 
Bridge there are paths on both sides of the road to be des- 
cended — one on the right to the Devil's Punch Bowl, which 
we visit first. It is a most impressive scene : the river rush- 
ing and swirling below, where it has carved its way in a 
curious fashion through and under the rocks ; above, tha 
battered bridge spanning the narrow and lofty ravine, and 
the sky almost hidden by the abundant foliage of the trees. 
Returning to the road, take the path on the other side of the 
road leading down into the glen where the Mynach and tho 
Rheidol waters meet. As we descend, a fine fall of the 
Rheidol is seen on the right ; the Mynach or Devil's Bridge 
Falls lie in the hollow on the left. A flight of steps, called 
Jacob's Ladder, leads to the bottom of the glen, over which 
a picturesque bridge has been thrown to enable the visitor 
to climb back by the side of the falls, and to see the varying 
and beautiful features of the glen. The visitor, as he passes 
through the door at the head of the steps and regains the 
plateau in front of the hotel, will probably think that he has 



48 ABERYSTWYTH. Parson's Bridge 

never enjoyed a more beautiful scene than the Glen of the 
Bheidol. 

A cave near the basin of the first fall of the Mynach was the 
lurking place of some noted banditti (two men and a woman, it is 
said), called Plant Mat, or Matthew's Children, whose exploits re- 
mind one of those of the Gwylliaid Cochion Mawddwy (see p. 25). 
Their great outrage was the murder of a judge near Rhayader, 
which is said to have been the cause of the removal of the 
Sessions from that place temp. Henry VIII. After this they were 
hunted down, besieged in their rocky lair, and executed. In the 
later years of Queen Elizabeth, however, a neighbouring moun- 
tain district, Cwm Ystwyth, still had the worst name for robbers 
in the whole of Wales. 

The Parson's Bridge is a mile and a half higher up 
the Rheidol, and reached by following the road which crosses 
the bridge from the hotel, as far as Yspytty Cynfyn (l£ m.), 
where in the churchyard are some ancient stones, the 
remains of some " rude stone monument " of early times. 
Follow a road to the right of the church, and turn to the left 
at the back of it. The road crosses a field and bends to the 
right ; when the ravine comes in view, take a path down to 
the stream, which has been spanned at this spot by a wire sus- 
pension bridge. It is a magnificent bit of rock and river 
scenery, and should on no account be missed ; and some 
time might be spent agreeably in exploring the banks of the 
stream. 

From here there is a fine walk to Pont Erwyd, where the coach 
(or the daily mail car) may be caught. Cross the bridge, torn right 
by a path near the river-side, at a water-wheel ascend the hill 
to a house, and then cross another stream and bear to the right, 
ascending the hill, and crossing it at the right end of the shoulder. 
Presently descend by a path to a road which runs up to a white 
house, and then turn to the right, and so to the village. Pont Er- 
wyd may also be reached by following the Llanidloes road from 
Yspytty Cynfyn for about a mile, and then turning to the left. 

A still longer route than any of those we have mentioned 
will take the tourist by way of Hafod back to Aberystwyth (20 
m.) ; or he might walk in the same direction, in a little over 
half the distance, to the Strata Florida railway station. After 
proceeding along the road (S.E.) from the hotel, for about 
two miles, tin arch is reached which was erected by 
Colonel Johnes of Hafod, to commemorate the Jubilee of 
George Ill's, accession. Less than a mile further, near a 
little stream, a turning must be taken to the right, which 
leads in ten minutes or so to the church of Eglwys Newydd, 
where a piece of sculpture designed by Stotnard, and exe- 
cuted by Chantrey, in memory of Miss Johnes, is to be seen. 
A few minutes more bring the traveller to Haf od» a place 
that has had a romantic history and rapidly passed from one 
owner to another since Colonel Johnes, the translator of 
FroUsart and Monstrdet, lived there. The beautiful grounds 



Plyniimmon. ABERYSTWYTH. 48 

contain several picturesque cascades. The road by which 
Aberystwyth is reached from here follows the course of the 
Ystwyth a considerable part of the way, amid some beautiful 
scenery. Five miles from the DeviPs Bridge Pont-rhyd-y-groe* 
(the Bridge of the Ford of the Cross), where the Ystwyth 
rushes through a romantic gorge, will be passed ; in another 
five Pont Llanafan, with its beautiful scenery; and two 
miles further, Crosswood, the seat of the Earl of Lisburne, 
where the train can be taken at Trawscoed station. Cross- 
wood is a translation of Trawscoed. 

Ascent of Plynlimmon. 

Plynlimmon Is all but pathless. When the ascent is made 
from the southern ('Steddfa Gurlg) side, there Is nothing In the 
appearance of the mountain to show the direction of the summit, 
which Indeed Is not seen until we are close upon it. Some good 
Samaritan has, however, set up a series of guide-posts on the two 
ascents we are about to describe, by following which the climber 
Is able not only to find his way, but to evade the marshes that 
lie in wait for him If he presumes upon any deflection from the 
humble course "from pole to pole." 

The ascent may be made from Pont Erwyd, from the Dyffryn 
Castell Inn, or, by far the shortest, from 'Steddfa Gurlg, 2| miles 
beyond Dyffryn Castell, at the top of the pass on the Llanidloes 
road. The best plan is to go by the 'Steddfa Gurlg route and re- 
turn by another. There is no Inn on the road beyond the Dyffryn 
Castell. 'Steddfa Gurlg is 1,358 feet above the sea. 

Just before reaching the first house in 'Steddfa Gurlg a roadway 
turns to the left, through a gate. Follow this road until it forks, 
and then keep* to the right and along a stream. The road leads, 
at a distance of about a mile, to an extensive lead mine. After 
passing the first water-wheel, look out on the left for a series of 
guide-posts, by following which you reach the cairn in about three 
quarters of an hour. [To see the source of the Wye, at the min- 
ing works turn to the right, up the debris, to the ridge of Crib-yr- 
esgair ; from this shoulder, after passing (left) along it for a little 
way, you look down to the right on the beginnings of the Wye; 
then keep to the left over an eminence and so to the cairn]. 

The view is mainly of bare mountain and valley, great solitudes 
with scarcely a sign of human life; but the vast hollow in which 
Llyn Llygad Rheidol lies, 700 feet below us, is impressive. This 
lake is the source of the Rheidol, and supplies Aberystwyth with 
water. The source of the Severn lies some three miles from this 
highest cairn of Plynlimmon, and far away from our line of route. 
As to the distant view, the long ridge of Cader Idris rises grandly 
on the north, and in clear weather Snowdon should be seen across 
Its eastern end, and if we carry the eye to the right, Arenig, the 
Arans, the Berwyns, the pillar-marked Breidden, the distant 
Wrekin rising over the left shoulder of the Stiperstones, the Black 
Forest, the Brecon Beacons (S.E.), with the Carmarthen Vans or 
Black Mountain to the right of them, the Preselly mountains in 
Pembrokeshire, the Wellington Monument near Aberystwyth, 
Borth, the estuary of the Dovey, Bardsey Isle, Cam Madryn, and 
the Rivals, are all in the vast panorama, which, of course, Includes 
a great stretch of the Irish sea. 

Although Plynlimmon Is the cradle of rivers, drinking water is 
extremely scarce for long distances near the summit. Coleridge 
In his " Table Talk " says:—" I took the thought of ' grinning for 
joy • in tfce * Ancient Iflarjner • ('Qramercv they for Joy djd grin/) 



50 ABERYSTWYTH. To Aberdovey. 

from poor B.'s remark to me, when we had climbed to the top of 
Plynlimmon, and were nearly dead with thirst. We could not 
speak from the constriction, till we found a little puddle under 
a stone. He said to me ' You grinned like an idiot.' He had done 
the same." 

The white posts will show the descent to 'Steddfa Gurig for 
any one who has ascended by another way. The descent to the 
Dyffryn Castell Inn takes about two hours. The guide posts (not 
white) are somewhat intermittent on this side: they bend to the 
right from the 'Steddfa Gurig track immediately on starting. 
Keep a look-out for them in front, and when they seem to be 
lost avoid a path to the left and you will soon see another post. 
The path presently goes above (to the right of) a fence in which 
there Is a gate. Passing through this gate, the proper course is 
to keep on in a direction parallel to the fence (and not to strike 
down towards the valley), on pain of bogs. Some rather wet 
ground is crossed, a green slope is ascended, two more posts are 
passed, and then the path runs high above the valley in which 
the Llanidloes road is seen. When a rough roadway is reached 
follow it down, cross a stream, and, turning right, follow the 
course of the ravine to the Dyffryn Castell Inn. Time from Devil's 
Bridge to Plynlimmon via 'Steddfa Gurig and down to Pont Er- 
wyd, about seven hours. The tourist bound for Aberystwyth 
should reach Pont Erwyd by half-past three, for he will then 
stand a chance of finding a seat in one of the public conveyances. 

If the climber prefers to reverse our route, he should begin the 
(rather tiresome) ascent by a road, which soon becomes a path, 
starting alongside the Dyffryn Castell Inn, and following a ravine 
until a pole is reached; then cross the stream and ascend by a 
rough (and somewhat Intermittent) road. Presently the path 
runs high above the valley, and parallel with it, and a sight of 
the summit will soon help to guide the climber. 



Go Bber&oves an& Ttowgn. 

TAKING our seats in the Cambrian train once more, we re- 
turn towards the mountainous county of Merioneth. The 
travellers of former days looked upon the mountains of 
Merionethshire with feelings of awe. Even as late as the 
last century one of them writes of the " impassable moun- 
tains which we look at with astonishment for their prodigious 
height." He adds: — "Some think 'tis from the impassable 
Mountains of this County that we have an old saying, That 
the Devil lives in too Middle of Wales, though I know there 
is another meaning given to it ; in a word, Mr. Camden calls 
these parts, The Alps of Wales." Giraldus Cambrensis gives 
us some exceedingly novel information : — " The hills are ex- 
traordinarily hign, and vet very narrow, and terminating in 
sharp peaks ; nor are tney thin scattered, but placed very 
close, and so even in height that the shepherds frequently 
converse from the tops of them ; who yet, in case they should 
wrangle and appoint a meeting, can scarce come together 
from morning till night." Camden seems to accept Giraldus 
as a gospeller, but Gibson, following Camden, will have none 
of it, and says : " But for mountains so high, and their tops 



Bells of Abardovey. ABERDOVEY. 51 

notwithstanding so near that men may converse from them, 
and yet scarce be able to meet in a whole day, I preaume there 
are none such in nature, and am certain there are not any in 
Wales, but men conversing from their tops may meet in half 
an hour." 

But we have not reached Merionethshire yet; we see it 
across the estuary of the Dovey as we travel back from Aber- 
ystwyth towards Machynlleth. We need not go quite to that 
town, but change into the coast train at Glandavey Junction, 
In another minute we cross the bridge over the Dovey, and 
get into the county of mountains. We pass through four 
short tunnels, and it is worth while to do so, if only to get 
the delicious peeps of sea and mountain which are revealed 
as we emerge from them. 

And now we enter the little port of Aberdovey. Some 
of our companions probably remember the Shakesperian re- 
vivals at Drury Lane, many years ago, when Phelps and 
Helen Fauoit were the brightest stars that shone ; but, bril- 
liant as they were, they did not eclipse the Eos Cymru who 
nightly electrified the house with her warbling. Henry IV. 
was the piece in which Edith Wynne appeared, " Lady 
Mortimer her part. In it a Welsh song has to be sung, 
and Miss Wynne chose "The Bells of Aberdovey." We are 
entering the town, but where are the bells? There are none, 
and they live only in the old song produced by Dibdin in his 
play or opera of " Liberty Hall," with broken spelling : — 

Do Salmons love a lucid stream, 

Or thirsty Sheep love fountains P 
Do" Druids love a doleful theme, 

Or Goats the craggy mountains? 
If it be true these things are so, 

As truey she's my lovey, 
And os wit ti yng carri 1, 
Tr wyf 11 yn dy carri di, 

As un, dau, tri. pedwar, pimp, chwech, 
Qo the bells of Aberdovey. 

The sands about Aberdovey form a pleasant promenade for 

five or six miles, past Towyn and to the banks of the river 

Dysynni, and people with delicate chests might do worse than 

take up their winter residence in the place, for the weather 

is so mild that myrtles will grow out of doors all the year 

round. Private lodgings are provided at Aberdovey, which 

is a quiet, unsophisticated place, and visitors will also find 

hotel accommodation there. The port is a small one, and 

there is very little shipping. Boating can be enjoyed in 

summer, there are a few bathing machines, and Aberdovey 

can boast its excellent Golf Links (on the sands near the 

railway station) and a prosperous Golf Club. From the 

Aberdovey strand a boat may be taken across the mouth of 

the Dovey to Penrhyn, where posts are placed on the shore 



52 ABERDOVEY. Excursion*. 

to guide pedestrians over the firmer and safer part of the 
beach in the direction of Borth. 

Of course, this walk must be well-timed, or our friends may 
get Into something like the unpleasant fix which we remember 
three or four hardy Welshmen getting into. They left Borth for 
Aberdovey rather too late, and when they reached Penrhyn, a 
Jutting point in the beach, the tide was rapidly coming in, and 
the sun was setting. They shouted to the people on the Aber- 
dovey shore, but the wind made their shouts vox et praeUrea nihil; 
and, the day closing fast, their gestures were of no more avail 
than their voices. Nothing was to be done but to make a night 
of it, and, fortunately, the authorities had anticipated this by no 
means solitary case, by erecting a sort of pillory of wooden bars 
on which refuge could be taken. As the water rose the unfortun- 
ate Welshmen rose with it, step by step, up the scaffolding, and 
there they remained, " sitting on a rail," with Cardigan Bay 
heaving and rolling under their feet, until morning's dawn. The 
Aberdovey Improvement Commissioners have now erected a more 
comfortable refuge for belated travellers. 

We have skirted the hills which shelter Aberdovey from 
the north winds. These hills command fine views, and one 
walk, to Dyffryn Gwyn, is described in our Towyn section, 
on page 56. Another is to the little lake called Llyn Barfog, 
about 4£ miles from the station (which is on the Towyn road, 
about half-a-mile from the centre of the town). The first 
part of the walk is in the direction of Machynlleth, along 
the turnpike road, and that of itself is a lovely ramble ; as, 
indeed, is all the six miles to Pennal, where there are signs 
of Roman occupation. In a little over two miles from the 
town, turn to the left at Aber Groes, up the defile of Tal-for- 
graig, and after ascending Cefn Rhos Uchaf and then bearing 
to the right the lake will be reached. In returning, walk 
along the ridge and down the road from Dyffryn Gwyn men- 
tioned on page 56. Near the lake is a stone called " Cam 
March Arthur'] (the Hoof of Arthur's Steed), from certain 
marks on it, said to be the impressions made by the horse's 
hoofs as he alighted in his big jump from the Cardiganshire 
side of the Dovey estuary. Why the lake is called the 
" Bearded Lake" is not clear : some think it is on account 
of a fringe of woodland which once decked its banks ; but of 
this no trace remains. 

The lake has nothing particularly beautiful about it to at- 
tract the visitor, but a legend associated with it is one of a 
large class familiar to the students of folk-lore, and of a 
variety which is found told of many Welsh and Irish lakes. 

In remote times Llyn Barfog was a popular place of resort for 
the Gwragedd Annwn, or Dames of Elfin Land, and at eventide 
they were in the habit of airing themselves, their dogs and their 
klne, on its banks. But they had only been seen by the favoured 
few, until an ancient farmer, still more favoured, managed to 
capture one of the cows. Y Fuwch Gyfeiliorn, the Stray Cow, 
aoon became tamous^ and her progeny— lor she was not all angelic 



Excursions. TOWYN. 55 

—grew famous too. Her lucky owner became the moat opulent 
man between the banks of the Dovey and the Mawddacn, his 
calves, his milk, his butter, and his cheese were such as no other 
fanner could produce, when he committed a terrible mistake, 
the like of which has been since repeated— when the tailor killed 
the goose that laid the golden eggs. The cow was still profitable, 
but earthly cattle, when they arrive at a certain age, are gener- 
ally fattened for the butcher, and our old farmer, whose reason- 
ing powers were limited, brought earthly usages to bear in the 
treatment of a heavenly beast. The fattening process began, and 
the cow did not belie her reputation, for never did butcher lift 
his knife to strike Into such a huge mass of magnificent beef. 
His hand was raised, but before it fell all power went out of it, 
and the knife dropped harmless to the ground. A piercing wry 
rent the air, and, looking up, the butcher and the farmer beheld 
one of the Ladies ot the Lake on the mountain crag, commanding 
the elfin cow to leave the earth, where she had been so grossly 
Insulted. The cow obeyed, and In so doing exercised a similar 
power to that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, for she was followed 
by her whole progeny, to the third and fourth generation, all of 
which went with their ancestor into the bosom of Llyn Barfog. 

From Llyn Barfog the pedestrian who does not wish to re- 
turn to Aberdovey can find his way by a road leading to 
Towyn, through Dyffryn Gwyn, also called the Happy Val- 
ley, which lies to the north of the lake. But we return to 
the railway station, and travel by Cambrian for four miles 
to Towyn. As we leave the town we see a large building, 
once an hotel, afterwards a college where the Jesuit Fathers 
took refuge on their expulsion from France ; and the Golf 
Links are on our left after we leave the station. 



Uowsn. 



EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Llanegryn, 4, Bird Bock (Craig Aderyn), 5 
(shortest way), Llanflhangel, 7J (ditto), the summit of Cader, 
13 (ditto) [Cambrian conveyances run up the Dysynni Val- 
ley: See Cambrian list of excursions], Dolgelley, 16-17 (old 
road), Beacon Hill, 2J, Dyffryn Gwyn, 3, Machynlleth 
(through Dyffryn Gwyn and Pennal), 12 m. 

By River.— Boat up the Dysynni to the Bird Rock. Boat- 
house and ferry (for hills north of Dysynni), 1J m. 

By Rail.— [The distances to places off the line are given 
from the end of the railway journey]. Aberdovey, 4 miles, 
Machynlleth, 14, Borth, 18, Aberystwyth, 27, Llwyn-gwril, 
7, Dolgelley, 18, Barmouth, 12, Harlech, 23, Portmadoc, 31 
(for Snowdon), Dol-g6ch, 5, for waterfalls, and for Bird 
Rock, 2) ; Abergynolwyn, 7, for the following places : — Tal- 
y-llyn, 3, Castell-y-bere and Llanflhangel, 2J— -by short cut, 
summit of Cader, through Llanflhangel, 8, through Tal-y- 
llyn, 7, Dolgelley, through Llanflhangel, and over part of 
Cader, 11; mountain tracks to Machynlleth and Pennal; 
ascent of Taren-y-gesail, 14 hour. The following excursions 
may be mentioned : —Tram to Abergynolwyn, walk (6£m.) 
past Tal-y-llyn to Corris, and home by train through 



54 TOWYN. St. CaAfan. 

Machynlleth. [One of the railway excursions follows this 
route]. Train to Glandovey for Llyfnant Valley; also for 
Furnace Waterfall and Elnon Valley. 

TOWYN is popular with the class who want to take their 
families to the sea at moderate cost for rest and health. 
Dr. Bristowe, physician to St. Thomas's Hospital,year after 
year brought his family here, and Sir Spencer Wells pro- 
nounced it a " delightful sea-bathing place." Its attractions 
are, first its extensive beach, and then its mountain scenery, 
to enjoy which in perfection a few miles must be travelled ; 
but the view from the railway up the Lysynni Valley, with 
Cader Idris in the distance, is a charming one ; and, sea- 
ward, we have the Carnarvon coast, ending in Bardsey Isle, 
and Pembrokeshire stretching far in the distance. In addi- 
tion to the well-known hostelry, the Corbett Arms, and 
lodgings in the old town, which is three quarters of a mile 
from the sea, a number of lodging houses will be found on 
and near to the shore, where a fine carriage drive and esplan- 
ade have been constructed. The sewerage and water supply 
have been improved at considerable cost. The water, which 
is abundant, is brought from the hills above Rhyd-yr-onen, 
and pronounced by the analysts to " approach very closely 
to the nature of distilled water," and " ranked side by side 
with the waters of Loch Katrine and Thirl mere." The win- 
ter population of Towyn Urban Sanitary District, which in- 
cludes Aberdovey, is 3,744. 

There is good fishing in Tal-y-llyn Lake, and in the Dysynni 
and other streams ; the lover of golf will find links at Aber- 
dovey ; and there, too, the lover of boating can enjoy him- 
self on the fine estuary of the Dovey. There is boating also 
on the Dysynni, where the craft lie for hire at the ferry, half 
an hour's walk from the town. Turn to the left immediately 
beyond the church (going from the railway station), and keep 
straight on until a wooden bridge is crossed ; then bend to 
the right as a board directs. The boats, which lie on the 
opposite side of the stream, and have sometimes to be hailed 
by dint of much shouting, can be taken up the river almost 
to the base of the Bird Rock, and the river passes by the 
woods of Ynys-y-maengwyn and Peniarth. It is not well to 
choose windy weather for the expedition. By the ferry the 
pedestrian can make his way to the hills beyond the Dy- 
synni. 

To the antiquary, St. Cadfan's Church and so-called Pillar will 
be of interest. The architecture of the old structure is rude, 
early Norman, hut the restoration, begun in 1880, has made a con- 
siderable difference in the appearance of the building. The posi- 
tion of the tower, which was formerly at the west end of the nave, 
has been altered; but the nave, with the massive pillars, sup- 
porting round arches, which separate it from the aisles, and the 
Norman clerestory, the northern transept, and the southern and 



Mutton, for Four. TOWYN. 66 

northern aisles, remain tne same. On the north side of the chan- 
cel are two interesting effigies, one of a knight in armour, of the 
time of Edward in., Gruff ydd ap Adda; the other a priest in 
canonicals, described by the accomplished antiquary, Mr Bloxam, 
as almost unique. St. Cadfan came oyer from Brittany with a 
whole troop of monastic devotees (their number is given as 847), 
the other leaders of this exodus being 36. Padarn, Tydecho, and 
perhaps Cynllo. Tradition says that ne settled awhile in Bard- 
Bey Island with some companions; and that he came to Towyn in 
the time of Gwryn Farfdrwch (Thick-beard), a sixth-century 
prince of Meirlonydd, I.e., the district between the Dovey and 
Mawddach estuaries. The so-called St. Cadfan's Stone, now in 
the church, is remarkable as being covered with inscriptions in 
Welsh, Instead of in Latin, the language used on all other early 
inscribed stones (other than Ogam stones) set up by Welshmen 
and their fellow-Britons of Cumbria and " West Wales." The 
date of the characters used Is centuries later than the time of St. 
Cadfan; and the frequently-cited rendering of the inscription by 
a Welsh scholar of fifty years since (when the scientific study of 
Old-Welsh was hardly born) is now known to be Impossible, and 
to furnish an example of what is called at school " construing 
through a brick wall." Amongst other things, this heroic con- 
strue combined a gu at the end of one line with adgan at the be- 
ginning of the next, and calmly assumed the combination to 
stand for " Cadfan "—a name which is found written " Catama- 
nus " on an historic stone of about 600, and in the Welsh of as 
late as the 10th and 11th centuries was always written "Catman!" 
The most Intelligible portions of the inscription are cingen ceUn, 
which (in early Welsh) may mean ** the corpse of Cyngen " (or 
more probably, " of Cynen "), and molt tic petuar (in modern 
Welsh moUt, ctg, or perhaps moUt-gig, pedwar), which means noth- 
ing more nor less than "a wether, meat for four," or let us say, 
" mutton for four "—a phrase smacking more of a Boniface than 
a Cadfan! This very antique Welsh mutton proved too much for 
even Professor Rhys's digestion, and after painfully assimilating 
it he finally " gave up " the stone In despair ! However, this at 
least Is clear, that If the screed, or a portion of it, Is really the 
fabrication of an early Welsh anticipator of Bill Stumps, he can- 
not possibly have meant to connect It with St. Cadfan, or he 
would have inserted that saint's name on the stone in some in- 
telligible guise. It has been pointed out that if the Cingen of 
the stone stands for the modern Cyngen, the inscription must be 
a comparatively late one, seeing that this name was spelt Coneenn 
in the 9th, and Cincenn or Cincen in the lOth-llth centuries. But 
the name meant may be Cynen, anciently Cinnen ; a person of that 
name (otherwise unknown) was killed by the Norsemen in 850, 
say the oldest Welsh Annals. He at least was a man, not a sheep ! 
St. Cadfan's Baths (hard by the Church), once well known to 
visitors, are closed; but there is a mineral spring at Rhyd-yr- 
onen, the first station on the Tal-y-llyn Railway. 

The marsh, which is crossed to the ferry-house already 
mentioned, may not seem very inviting, but the view of the 
mountains is impressive. Another walk across it begins by 
a road opposite the Cambrian railway station yard and leads 
to the mouth of the Dysynni. For rambles beyond the Dy- 
s'ynhi.tbe train can be taken to Tonfanau station (2£ miles), 
and visitors may amuse themselves by walking about half a 
mile towards Yarmouth in search of a cave on the shore in 
which Owen Glendower is said to havd taken refuge during 



56 TOWYN. To Tal-y-llyn. 

the adversities of fortune, but which is now almost filled by 
sand and shingle. On this part of the coast there is a view 
of Snowdon, and another of the earns referred to on p. 37, 
Sarn-y-bwch (the Buck's Causeway) runs out into the sea. 
For another and a better view of Snowdonia, climb the Bea- 
con Hill. Walk towards Towyn from Tonfanau station, 
along a road which in less than a mile leads to some old 
mine works, and there a path will be found to the summit, 
where the view includes Snowdon, with Moel Hebog to the 
left of it, the Glyders and Moel Siabod to the right, and 
Moelwyn and Cnicht nearer to us. 

To the south Dyffryn Gwyn (commonly called " The Happy 
Valley") is the goal of a favourite walk. A little more than 
a mile from Towyn on the way to Aberdovey the old Machyn- 
lleth road runs to the left, through Dyffryn Gwyn, and to see 
its beauties between two and three miles of this old road 
should be traversed. After passing a chapel, a track, start- 
ing by a farm on the right, runs over the hill to Aberdovey. 
The way is plain, the views are fine, and about 2$- hours 
should be allowed for the walk from Towyn to Aberdovey 
station. Continuing along the old Machynlleth road for 
about half-a-mile beyond the chapel, a mountain road on the 
right could be followed up to Llyn Barfog (see p. 52). 

To pedestrians bent upon a long walk, the old Dolgelley road 
(through Llanegryn) may be commended. It runs through fine 
mountain solitudes, and if the whole distance (between 16 and 
17 miles) is shirked, it is easy to turn down to Barmouth Junction 
or Arthog. 

The Tal-y-llyn Railway and the Dysynnl 

Valley. 

Tal-y-llyn is ten miles by the direct road, but the so-called 
Tal-y-llyn Railway (gauge, 2 feet 3 inches), which runs as far 
as Abergynolwyn, will take us seven miles. The station 
(Pen-dre) is at the other end of the town from the Cambrian 
railway, but the trains can also be joined at a siding, which 
is much nearer, and for which we turn to the right on leav- 
ing the Cambrian station. From the stations on the line 
pleasant walks can be taken. For Dol-goch Waterfalls des- 
cend the road from Dol-g6ch station and turn up the stream. 
The first fall is reached in a few minutes, and we can ascend 
by a road to the top of the fall. Another walk of ten min- 
utes up the stream leads to a second fall. 

Dol-gdch Is the nearest station for the Bird Rock (2 m.) On des- 
cending from the station keep straight on by the side of the 
stream and along the main road till the first bend, when a wooden 
ladder on the right leads to a path. Bending upwards and keep- 
ing to the right at the fork, we follow the path through a farm- 
yard, and along a short lane to the top of the hill, when the 
rocky summit of the Bird Rock is easily distinguished on our 
right. The path leads to a gate In the wall In a hollow, from 



Dysynni Valley. TOWYN. 5> 

* 

which we climb over stony ground to the top. For this walk at 
least an hour and a half should be allowed, from Dol-goch sta- 
tion to the Bird Rock and back. 

From Abergynolwyn it is a pleasant walk of 2£ miles to the 
beautifully situated village of Llanfihangel-y-pennant. Reach- 
ing Abergynolwyn from the station, take the second road 
to the left (in the Tillage). The road runs over the left 
slope of the hill in front; and when two gates have been 
passed through, a path on the right leads to the Towyn 
road, opposite the wooded hill of Castell-y-bere, where you 
turn to the right for Llanfihangel. From Abergynolwyn also 
there is a walk over the hills to Machynlleth (7 m.) The road 
to the right in the village will lead to the summit of the pass 
in an hour and a quarter, and, after crossing the ridge, the 
well-marked track bears to the left. Another mountain 
walk, starting by the same road, and diverging to the right 
at the slate works, leads to Penned. An ordnance map 
Bhould be carried. For the ascent of Cader and of Taren-y- 
gesail from Abergynolwyn see pages 59, 60. 

The walk from Abergynolwyn to Tal-y-llyn Lake is 
three miles — to the Pen-y-bont Hotel at the near end of the 
lake ; and a public conveyance will often be found at the 
station in the summer time. Conveyances also run between 
Towyn and Tal-y-llyn in connection with the Cambrian Rail- 
way (starting up the Dysynni Valley and returning by Dol- 
goch), and between Tal-y-llyn and Corris in connection with 
the Corris Railway. It is a delightful round to go to Corris 
and return by the railway to Towyn. The walking distance 
from Abergynolwyn to Corris is 6£ miles. 

Following the road for the Dvsynni Valley, about a mile 
from Towyn we pass, on our right, an erect stone, Croes- 
faen, and next on our left, Ynys-y-maengwyn, once the resi- 
dence of the Corbets, and bought some years ago by one of 
that name, though not a member of the old family — the late 
Mr. Corbett. On the east, or entrance front, it is a building 
of the eighteenth century, between two wings of Eliza- 
bethan character. The west, or garden front, reminds one 
of an old French chateau. 

A little more than half-a-mile beyond Ynys-y-maengwyn 
the Tal-y-llyn road runs to the right. We keep on over Pont 
Fathew ; and at Bryn-crug, immediately beyond the bridge, 
the shortest road (2 miles shorter than the driving road) to 
the Bird Rock and Llanfihangel turns to the right, and soon 
to the left, and keeps on the right of the Dysynni. Our driv- 
ing road runs on to the Dysynni and presently crosses it 
near Tal-y-bont (on our left). 

At Tal-y-bont there Was a Manor House, once belonging to Prince 
Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, and afterwards to the kings of England. 



58 TOWYN. The Bird Bock. 

In 1275 Llewelyn wrote his letters to the Archbishops of Canter- 
bury and York and their suffragans, in Council in London, from 
this place, and in 1295 Edward I. dated a charter from the spot. 
A mound, Tomen Ddreiniog (the Thorny Tumulus), is to be found 
on the hill-side, sloping down to the river on the west, a few 
hundred yards south of the bridge. 

In a little less than another mile, at a junction of roads, 
we take the turn to the right, and soon pass through Ll&n- 
Ogryn, which possesses a church of great antiquarian in- 
terest, with a rood screen that antiquaries would go miles 
to see. The church, which lies a few minutes' walk to the 
left of the road, and has been well restored, also contains 
an ancient font, and some handsome monuments to the 
memory of the Owens and the Wynnes of Peniarth. Half-a- 
mile further, on our right, is one of the entrances to Pen- 
iarth, the seat of W. R. M. Wynne, Esq., Lord-Lieutenant 
of the County, a house of historic interest. 

The Peniarth estate came Into the hands of an ancestor of Mr 
Wynne's, one Griffith ap Aron, in 1416, and in the present house 
is preserved the celebrated collection of " Hengwrt MSS.," be- 
queathed to the late Mr W. W. E. Wynne, a very notable Welsh 
antiquary, by Sir Robert Vaughan, of Hengwrt and Nannau, near 
Dolgelley. It is not too much to say that this collection is equal 
in quality, though not in quantity, to all the other extant collec- 
lections of Welsh MSS. put together. Among its chief treasures 
are the early collections of old Welsh poetry known as the 
** Black Book of Carmarthen " and the ** Book of Taliessin " ; the 
Welsh version of the Sant Greal, and the oldest Welsh and Latin 
MSS. of the ancient Laws of Wales. The collection also contains 
other than Welsh MSS., notably one of the six principal MSS. of 
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. 

The road, which skirts the park, presently bends to the 
right, and in less than another half mile to the left, and fol- 
lows the valley to Craig Aderyn, which rises above us just 
after we cross the Dysynni again at Pont-y-garth, some three 
miles from Llanegryn. Craig Aderyn, or the Bird Rock, 
the resort of the cormorant, the hawk, and other feathered 
bandits, from its peculiar shape is a striking feature of the 
landscape. The view from the summit is delightful. Be- 
tween two and three miles further from Pont-y-garth, after 
crossing the Dysynni once more, we have, on a hill to the 
left, Castell-y-bere. We must make our way up the 
wooded hill before we discover the ruined walls of this an- 
cient building, which is commonly called hereabouts Cae 'r 
berllan Castle. It was probably a royal fortress once, and 
was one of the largest castles in Wales, and superior in or- 
namentation to any. It was visited by Edward I. Ll&n- 
f ihangel-y-pennant, a small Tillage, in a beautiful 
situation, is a very little way beyond the castle, and at the 
inn there the climber intent upon Cader can refresh himself 
before he begin* the ascent. The stimuli t is about 5| miles 




i 

E 

< 



! 



ftf 



Coder Idru, TOWYN. 

away. In LI anfih angel parish lived the girl, Mary Jones, 
who, as we state in oar Bala section, walked all the way to 
Bala and back (fifty miles) to buy a Bible ; and in the 
churchyard at Bryn-crug, mentioned above, where her mar- 
ried life was passed, a tombstone, which briefly tells the 
story, has been erected on her grave. 

At Llanfihangel we are two miles and a half (by short cut) 
from Abergynolwyn station, and about three from Tal-y- 
llyn, over the mountain. For Abergynolwyn the path turns 
out of the Towyn road opposite Castell-y-bere, and runs 
over the right shoulder of the hill (see p. 57). For a fine 
mountain walk to Barmouth, described in our Barmouth 
section, follow the Towyn road for about a mile, to its junc- 
tion with the Abergynolwyn road, and then turn to the 
right. 

Ascents of Cader Idrls, etc. 

For the ascent of Cader Idrls by Llanfihangel it is best (unless 
we drive by Cambrian conveyance to Gwastadfryn, about a mile 
beyond Llanfihangel) to take the train for Abergynolvfyn, and thus 
save about five miles of walking, reducing the total distance to 
eight. Having reached IAanfLhangel (page 57), the way keeps on 
past the church (to the right of it) by a lane which in half a 
mile crosses a bridge where the stream makes a charming pic- 
ture. The stream will be our guide for a part of the ascent. After 
crossing, the way, turning to our right, is lined with lime, ash, 
and sycamore trees, and leads to Gwastadfryn farm, after which 
it runs parallel with a gorge where some fine trees are growing. 
The route runs almost due north, and not far from the stream, 
until, a little way past Hafotty Gwastadfryn farm, it runs more 
to the east, following a stone wall, to the end of it, and then keeps 
on, north, joining the Dolgelley pony path near two stone pillars. 
Tbis is probably the most gradual ascent of Cader. Time, 3J h. 

The ascent from Tal-y-Uun, which is one of the finest, is some- 
thing like four miles in distance, and will probably take about 
two hours and a half. [The distance from Abergynolwyn station 
to the summit is about seven miles, but conveyances running to 
Tal-y-llyn will probably be found at the station]. We do not go 
all the way to Tal-y-llyn to begin the ascent. About a quarter of 
a mile short of it, a mountain road makes a stiff ascent from the 
high road running towards the lake. Presently we see the lake 
far below, and pass through the yard of a farm called Rhiw 'r-ogof 
on the ordnance map. The path runs up by a wall, and soon to 
the left and through a wall. Then ascending and bearing right 
we make for a higher summit in front of us. After climbing for 
a while some fine precipices are seen to the right, and then we 
may bear to the left and get a delightful glimpse of the Dysynnl 
Valley. After this there is a long green slope to ascend, at the 
top of which the summit of Cader is in view. Here, bearing to 
the right as we proceed towards the summit, we come to the steep 
precipices which look down into Llyn-y-cau; keep along the 
ridge, make a slight descent, ascend again, and then bear left 
under a stony slope (here we shall find a spring) to join the Dol- 
gelley route not far from the summit, for whioh we turn to the 
right. [For the ascent of Llyn-y-c*u see page 34]. 

Same fine mountain walks can be enjoyed on the range lying 



60 TOWTN. To Barmouth. 

to the south-east of the Tal-y-llyn railway. To climb the highest 
summit, Taren-y-ffe«ail (of which one part Is called Briddell 
Arw), having reached Abergynolwyn by rail, take the road on the 
right and ascend until you pass some slate works on the road. Then 
cross a wire fence, on the right of a wall, and climb, soon bear- 
ing to the right, and so reach the cairn (2,187 feet)— 1£ hour from 
Abergynolwyn. The view is very fine, looking down at the vale 
of the Dovey on one side and the vale of the Dysynni on the other, 
and extends far over sea and land. If you wish to extend your 
walk descend for some distance, bearing to the left (as you face 
the Dovey vale), and then walk to the right, along a ridge, in 1£ 
hour to Taren-yr-hendre (2,076 feet), the highest summit of Tram 
Tair Taren, and still in the same direction in another hour to 
Taren Cwm-ffernol (1,806 feet), where, facing almost west, a path 
will be seen running over the left slope of Pen Trum Gwr, the 
mountain in front, and this path will lead to Bryn-glas station 
(U hour). 

For Oorlan Fraith (1,332 feet) follow the road which leads past 
Pen-dre station at Towyn, Ty-mawr, and Bryn-llysg, to t^e cairn. 
It is perhaps worth mentioning that the right of way over this 
road has been disputed. 

On to Barmouth. 

Travelling to Barmouth by the railway, which runs close 
to the sea, we look up the Dysynni valley to the curiously- 
shaped Bird Rock, and Cader Idris in the background ; and 
not long after crossing the river there is a view of Snowdon 
from the left-hand window. Tonfanau station is passed, and 
about two miles further the rude-looking little church of 
Llangelynin may be seen on the right. At Llwyn-£?wril 
(the second station) lodgings can be found. The village con- 
tains an old Quakers' burial ground, with the date 1646 on 
the door (near the railway, on the Barmouth side), and Cas- 
tell-y-gaer, an ancient camp, is on the hill, a short walk past 
the church. 

After leaving Llwyn-gwril we soon reach Friog Cutting, 
where the railway company had to make their line on the 
sloping rocks, supported by sea walls, between the road and 
the water. The journey is charming. To the left, over the 
broad bay, if it is clear, we see Snowdon and other Carnar- 
vonshire mountains ; and ahead the town of Barmouth, rising 
out of the sea. Near the village of Friog a station called 
Fairboume has been opened, and the old mansion of Ynys 
Faig, now converted into the Fairboume Hotel, looks pic- 
turesque from the line. A tramcar (fare 2d.) runs in sum- 
mer down to the shore of the Estuary (opposite Barmouth), 
where there is a ferry ; and on this wide expanse are the 
Golf Links. In wet weather the tram is sometimes stopped ; 
a flag hoisted at Penrhyn Beacon, seen from Barmouth, shows 
when it is running. It is over a mile from the station to the 
ferry. The Penrhyn estate, with a mile and a half of sea- 
front, has been laid out for building .sites, and it includes a 
fine stretch of sandy shore* with facilities for bathing. Soon 



Distances. BARMOUTH. 61 

after passing Fairbourne the train draws up at Barmouth 
Junction, where the line to Dolgelley branches off. Our 
course is over the Bridge, half a mile long, spanning the 
Estuary, which presents a scene of wonderful beauty on the 
right. The view is more fully described on another page. 



JSarmoutb 

EXCUB8ION8 AND DISTANCES. 

Where the letter C appears after the name of a place It 
signifies that a conveyance runs from one or more of the 
trains or from Barmouth. The Cambrian Railway list of 
excursions should be studied. 

By Water.— Boat or steam launch to Penmaen-pool. 
Steamer (occasional) to various places. 

By fload.— Panorama Walk, about 2 m., Hill above Bwlch- 
y-llan (for fine view of Snowdonia, Ac), 1J hour, Glandwr, 
2 miles, Bont-ddu, 5, Llanelltyd, 8, Ty'n-y-groes, 11, Rhaiadr 
Du, 12i, Pistyll Cain and Rhaiadr Mawddach, 14, Dol- 
gelley, 10, or by short cut near Hengwrt, or over Penmaen- 
J>ool Bridge, 9, Llanaber Church, 2, Carneddau Hengwm, 
|. Cors-y-gedol, 5J, Llyn Irddyn, by Tal-y-bont, 7, Dyffryn, 
4&, Llanbedr, 7, Harlech, 10, Barmouth Junction, 1} (for 
walks in wood and up to old Dolgelley road), Pant Einion, 
3, Llwyn-gwril, 6, Arthog, 3, Llynlau Creigenen, 4J, Sum- 
mit of Cader, 9, Summit of Diphwys, 3 hours. [Miles are 
meant unless hours are mentioned]. Conveyances run 
daily to several of the places named above. 

By Rail. 

[Distances to places off the line are from the end of the 
railway journey. Any excess of a mile on the rail, beyond 
a few yards, is counted as a mile].— Llwyn-gwril, 6, Aber- 
dovey, 16, Machynlleth, 26, Shrewsbury (via Cambrian), 87, 
Whitchurch, 101, Borth, 30, Aberystwyth, 39, Criccieth, 25, 
Pwllheli, 32, Carnarvon, 47, Bala, 28, Corwen, 38, Llangollen, 
49, Ruabon, 55, Shrewsbury (via Ruabon), 80, Chester, 71. 

Barmouth Junction, 2; for Pant Einion, 1J, Abergynolwyn 
station over the hills, 8J. 

Fairbourne, 3, Golf Links, J m., Tram (in summer) and 
ferry to Barmouth; Pant Einion Fall, 1 m., Llwyn-gwril, 3 
m. 

Arthog, 3; for Llyniau Creigenen, about 2, summit of 
Cader, about 6. 

Penmaen-pool, 7; for Abergynant Valley (entrance), 1J, 
Bont-ddu, under 2, Cwm Mynach Valley, 1, Llyn Howel, 
about 7 (also ascent of Diphwys, Llethr, Ac, by shorter 
walk than from Barmouth), Llanelltyd, 2J, Ty'n-y-groes, 5J, 
Rhaiadr Du, under 7, Pistyll Cain and Rhaiadr Mawddach, 
8£. Precipice Walk, via Llanelltyd, there and back, 10-11. 

Dolgelley, 10; for Torrent Walk (entrance), 2. (See Dol- 
gelley excursions to Precipice Walk, Ty'n-y-groes, and the 
Waterfalls, &c). 

DrtDS-ynant, 16; for ascent of Arans (see Drws-y-nant). 

Tovyn, 12 ; for Tal-y-llyn (C), ascents of Cader (C to Gwas- 
tadfryn), Ac. (See Towyn). 

C 



62 BARMOUTH. Attraction*. 

Buffryn, 5; for Cromlechs, } m., Cors-y-gedol, 2, Arthur's 
Quoit, 2J, Llyn Irddyn, 4* (from which Bodlyn is ft hour, 
and Dulyn an hour), Bwlch Drws Ardudwy, 8-9, ascent of 
Moelfre, about 4. 

Uaribedr and Pen-sarn, 8; for Mochras, shells, 2, Crom- 
lech, about 1, Llanbedr, nearly 1, Cwm Bychan (C), 6ft, 
Bwlch Tyddiad, up Roman Steps, about 8J, and to Traws- 
fynydd, 14J, Bwlch Drws Ardudwy, about 9, and Ty'n-y- 
groes, about 16. The total walk from Pen-sarn past Cwm 
Bychan, through Bwlch Tyddiad and back through Drws 
Ardudwy to Pen-sarn, is about 19 miles. 

Harlech, 11; for Castle, a few minutes' walk above the 
station, Moel Senigl (1J— 2), &c. (See Harlech excursions). 

Talsarnau, 14, for walk to Maentwrog and Tan-y-bwlch 
station, about 7 (see Tal-sarnau in index). 

Penrhyn-deudraeth, 16, for Cambrian excursion to Maen- 
twrog Falls, &c, and Ceunant-y-Parc, near Cnicht. 

Portmadoc, 20; for Beddgelert and Aberglaslyn. (See 
Portmadoc). 

Snowdon. Rail to Portmadoc, conveyance to Beddgelert, 
&c. 

Tan-y bwlch (on Festiniog line), 23; for Felenryd Falls, 

3i. 
Blaenau Festiniog, 28, for Slate Quarries. Festiniog, 32; 

for Falls, 1. 

BARMOUTH (in Welsh Abermaw, but usually called 
Bermo) has long been a favourite resort for the lovers 
of beautiful scenery, who found their way to the mouth 
of the Mawddach years before the railway brought its 
streams of tourists ; but visitors in those days came by dozens 
and now they come by thousands. Wordsworth was there 
in 1824, when, he says, he " took boat, and rowed up its sub- 
lime estuary, which may compare with the finest in Scot- 
land." The Cambrian line made Barmouth what it is as a 
modern watering place ; following the Cambrian, the Great 
Western gave fresn facilities for reaching it from England ; 
and now the country which borders the Estuary of the Maw- 
ddach is one of the principal pleasure-grounds of the king- 
dom. With a fine sea-view in front, the mountains behind, 
" the glorious estuary " running five or six miles inland, and 
Cader Idris within compass of a day's walk, Barmouth can 
always hold its own against any rival. There is a lawn- 
tennis ground near the station, and there are golf links on 
the sands opposite the quay, from which a ferry boat plies ; 
in the day time there are excursions in all directions by rail 
and coach, and the lover of music will find no lack of con- 
certs at night. 

One of the advantages of Barmouth is the nearness of the 
hills. Tou leave the shore, and in two or three minutes you 
are on rising ground, which stretches away for miles and 
culminates in the conspicuous summit of Diphwys, 2,467 feet 
above the sea. On the rising ground the old town was built, 
row above row of houses in irregular order, until the doors 



Altraaivns. BARMOUTH. 63 

of one row were almost on a level with the chimneys of those 
which stood below it. These hill-side dwellings still remain, 
but the place is new-fronted with a long street of shops, and 
houses, and hotels ; and the town is extended at each end, in 
comfortable dwellings, which face, some the sea, and some 
the mountains, so that visitors can take their choice. They 
have their choice, too, an endless one, in the way of walks, 
on the level or the heights, in scenery as lovely as any that 
can be found, and as grand as a reasonable being can desire. 

Barmouth, with a winter population of 2,213, affords ample 
accommodation for visitors, except when it is crowded, as it 
sometimes is, at the height of the season ; but the new nouses 
which are rising continually make this contingency less and 
less likely. There are enclosed sea-baths, and, of course,' 
machines on the beach ; there is a regular system of sewer- 
age, and a pure supply of water is brought from Ceilwart, on 
the hills to the north of Barmouth, and from Llyn Bodlyn. 
There are five or six hotels, including the old established 
Cors-y-gedol, the Marine on the beach, the Lion, and the 
private hotel, Orielton Hall (on the Dolgelley road), the 
pleasant grounds of which can be visited by applying on the 
premises ; and the lodging houses stretch in almost a con- 
tinuous line for a mile, some of them on the shore, and none 
more than a few score yards from the sea. Beginning on the 
Llanaber road, on the north of the town, where they face the 
sea, they extend nearly to the pretty little harbour of Aber- 
amffra beyond the Bridge, on the beautiful road which runs 
along the estuary to Dolgelley. Most people can only make 
holiday in summer time, but those who go to Barmouth in 
May or early June are very likely to find it at its best, and 
they will also find that lodgings are cheap ! Owing to its 
sheltered position Barmouth also makes an agreeable win- 
ter resort, and the mildness of the climate is shown by the 
tender shrubs which flourish out of doors. 

The new church, near the railway station, is a much finer 
specimen of modern architecture than we often see among 
the ecclesiastical buildings of Wales. There is English ser- 
vice in the town for almost every denomination ; while for 
those who prefer a walk in the country there is the little 
church of Llanaber, where service is conducted in English 
at 11 15 a.m. and at 3 30 p.m. in the summer. Talking of 
walks in the country, we must mention the wild flowers. A 
list of 737 different kinds is published (price 3d.) by Mr. 
Rynoch of Barmouth. 

The railway station is between the beach and the town, and 
close to both. On the beach, in places, there is firm sand 
to walk upon, and there is any quantity for the children to 
dig in ; and the view is delightful. The great ridge of Cader 



64 BARMOUTH. Boating. 

rises to the right of the town as we stand with our back to 
the sea ; the summit is one of two which appear to be much 
the same height, and are near together. In the other direc- 
tion is the Carnarvonshire promontory of Lleyn, with Bard- 
Bey Isle at the end of it. 

The town itself has little to interest the visitor. On the 
quay is a house called Ty-Gwyn-yn-Bermo — i.e., the White 
House in Barmouth — (modernized now, but easily recognised 
by its ancient doorway), said to have been built by one of 
the Vaughans of Cors-y-gedol to facilitate communications 
with the Earl of Pembroke relative to the invasion of Henry 
VII. ; and some of our readers will like to visit the property 
which Mr. Buskin's Guild of St. George has bought at Bar- 
mouth. Turn up a narrow street opposite the front door of 
St. David's church, soon turn right, and again left, and yon 
will come speedily to a high wall, behind which is a row of 
St. George's cottages. On the end of the terrace, by look- 
ing carefully, you will see "St. George" painted. Here, a 
few years ago, came the master, Mr. Ruskin, and a char- 
acteristic account of his journey from Coniston will be 
found in For 8 Clavigera. I have just been pver to Bar- 
mouth (says Mr. Ruskin) to see the tenants on the first bit 
of ground — noble crystalline rock, I am glad to say — poss- 
essed bv St. George on the island." Amongst the tenants 
of St. (George's estate visited by Mr. Ruskin was a notable 
Frenchman, M. Guyard, who took refuse in Wales with his 
daughters when Paris was besieged in 1870, and died at Bar- 
mouth in 1882. His tomb is in the grounds of Ty'n-y-ffyn- 
non (the large house a little way above St. George's terrace). 
It is a pleasure to add that Mrs. F. Talbot, of Ty'n-y-ffyn- 
non, has placed the cliff called Dinas Oleu (to the left of 
Ty'n-y-ffynnon as you ascend) under the care of the "National 
Trust for the Preservation of Places of Historic Interest or 
Natural Beauty," and thus dedicated it to the enjoyment of 
the public for ever. 

Barmouth has a fleet of pleasure boats, and there are occa- 
sional excursions by steam boat In Cardigan Bay. If an indifferent 
sailor, you can keep within the bar, and hover about the Friar's 
Island (Ynys-y-Brawd) at the mouth of the river; and a private 
boat or one of the steam launches will take you up the Estuary 
to Penmaen-pool. If you are adventurous, your sail may be ex- 
tended on the sea to Towyn or Aberdovey, or even Aberystwyth, 
southwards, or to Criccieth and Pwllheli, north, and perhaps 
Bardsey Isle, and these expeditions will supply you with rare 
opportunities of enjoying the glorious mountain scenery of Mer- 
ioneth and Carnarvon. There Is fishing, too, for maokerel, gurnet, 
bass, and whiting. There is spearing for skate* inside the bar- 
though we believe you seldom spear them; and for fresh water 
anglers there are lakes and streams on both sides of the Estuary, 
and from the Mawddach they can land their salmon as well as 
tneJr ^ewlii and their trout 



The Bridge. BARMOUTH. 65 

The first beauty at Barmouth is the bridge. There is not 
such a promenade pier in Europe. Stretching for half a 
mile over the "aber," the view inland, with Cader Idris to 
the right, Diphwys to the left, the Estuary below, and the 
Arans beyond, is past all description. On the right of the 
Mawddach, the Giant's Head Mountain (like the upturned 
face of a giant) is a prominent object, and on the other side, 
beyond Diphwys (the end of the Llawllech range, which runs 
up from the town of Barmouth), rise Y Gam, and, further 
still, Moel Cvnwch (the Precipice Walk), Moel Offrwm, and 
the rounded head of Rhobell Fawr beyond it ; while oyer the 
town we see Cam Madryn in Carnarvonshire. The bridge 
is divided into two roads ; one for the trains and the other 
for trampers and loungers, for whom benches are provided. 
At the Barmouth end, where the river course lies, the bridge 
is of iron, and is lifted by machinery when a vessel passes 
under, but the rest of the structure is of wood. Bather more 
than half a mile from the other end of the Bridge is Barmouth 
Junction station, and to get there, it must be confessed, if 
the wind is high, the pedestrian has often to encounter too 
much sand. The toll for crossing (including the return) is 
twopence, but visitors may obtain weekly tickets at sixpence 
for adults and threepence for children. 

Next in attraction are the magnificent walks on the hills, and 
before starting it will be well for the pedestrian to take his bear- 
ings from the Bridge. and learn the names of the heights. The 
hill called Craig Ahermaw (870 feet) on the old ordnance map (but 
scarcely known by that name at Barmouth, we believe) rises im- 
mediately behind the town, and is continued in the great ridge of 
Llawllech to Diphwys. The chief mountains are mentioned in the 
last paragraph, but we may add that the summit of Cader Idris 
is seen (among other places) from the street by St. David's Church. 
One of the most beautiful walks is along the Dolgelley road, des- 
cribed at the end of the present section, when we connect Bar- 
mouth with Dolgelley. Dolgelley, by the way, on one side, Llan- 
bedr and Harlech on the other, are the centres of fine excursions, 
included under the sections to which they belong. Public excur- 
sions by coach and rail to the Torrent and Precipice Walks, Ty'n- 
y-groes and the Waterfalls (by which are the well-known Gold 
Works), Cwm Bychan, Tan-y-bwlch and Festlniog, and Beddgelert, 
are arranged in the summer time. 

The Panorama Walk. 

The Panorama Walk is one of the first things which 
visitors to Barmouth inquire after. The shortest way is by 
what we will call the Sylfaen lane (for it leads to Sylfaen 
farm), which turns off the main road to the left, at the end 
of Porkington Terrace, soon after passing the approach to 
the Bridge. After a climb of a quarter of an hour or more 
we come to a point where the lane branches into two, and take 
the right branch. In a short time we see the shoulders of 
two low hills before us to the right. Between these we have 



6C BARMOUTH. Panorama Walk. 

to go ; a notice-board directs us, and we soon reach the en- 
trance to the Panorama Walk, between a mile and 
a half and two miles from the hotels. Passing through 
the entrance, a path leads to a little eminence where all the 
glories of the Estuary are spread before us, and we see the 
mountains we have already seen from the Bridge, with others 
besides. Cader rises grandly, and to the left of the summit 
a yellow streak is the well-known Foxes' Path. Returning 
to the entrance, we may there turn to the right and (taking 
the first turn to the right) descend through the wood to the 
Dolgelley road, along which we walk (lj m.) to the town. 
The Panorama Walk has been acquired by the Local Board, 
and is thus preserved for the enjoyment of the public. 

There are various ways of reaching the Panorama, and the 
walks on the hills behind Barmouth are almost countless. Per- 
haps the following is the most beautiful. Going to the left of 
the Cors-y-gedol Hotel, take the second turn to the right (only 
a few yards behind the hotel), and ascend to Bryn-y-ffynnon, the 
largest and highest of the houses on the hill-side, which may also 
be reached from almost any part of High Street. Climb to the 
left of the garden wall, pass through a gate, and you are soon 
shut in by the hills, but soon again in view of Cader Idris. Keep 
to the broad path, which, not far from a bungalow, descends the 
hill and passes a farm-house to a lane, where you turn left and 
soon right for the Panorama. A walk we recommend, instead 
of descending for the farm, continues by a narrower path up hill 
and through a gate, and leads to another farm (Gwastad Annas), 
on a road which runs down to Sylfaen lane. At the farm turn left, 
and ascend to a gap in the hills, through which you pass. Soon 
there Is a gate on the left, admitting to a (rather swampy) track, 
which will lead to Cell Fechan farm, and so back to Barmouth. 

Reversing the route, and starting again to the left of the Cors- 
y-gedol Hotel, our way lies over the left of the hill. Taking the 
second turn to the right, and the left branch where the road 
forks, we follow a winding road, and, taking care to keep on the 
left side of the hill, presently reach Cell Fechan. Still following 
the road (and passing a gate which admits to a footpath to Cell 
Fawr), we shall reach the " gap " mentioned in the last para- 
graph, and suddenly come in view of Cader Idris. Here one 
path (the shortest to the town) leads in the direction of the 
Bridge, and the other (left) past Gwastad Annas into Sylfaen lane; 
and arrived there we turn right, and almost immediately left, to 
the Panorama. The round, a very fine one, is only four miles. 

Llanaber Church and View of Snowdon. 

A still longer walk may also be recommended, and in the 
course of it we can see Llanaber Church (nearly two miles) 
on the Harlech road. On our way there we have a fine view 
across the sea towards the long coast-line of Carnarvonshire, 
and a mile from the town we cross a little stream which runs 
down between the farms of Ceilwart Uchaf and Ceilwart Isaf , 
near which there is an ancient encampment. [Here a path 
would lead ns to the track we intend to take on the hill-side 




o 
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View of Snowdon. BARMOUTH. 07 

and so shorten our walk]. Llsm&ber CtlMrch 9 which is 
charmingly situated above the shore, with a lovely view of 
mountain and sea framed in one of the doorways, is the 
parish church of Barmouth. It was built in the 13th cen- 
tury, and restored in the 19th. The architecture is very 
pure Early English, and the east window is a " single lancet, 
which is not usual in old ecclesiastical buildings. It con- 
tains a curious chest for votive offerings (near the door), and 
an early stone, inscribed "Caelexti Monedorigi," said to have 
been found in the sands, and once used as a footbridge over 
the Ceilwart brook. The antiquary will be delighted with 
the building, and it does not require any special knowledge 
to enjoy the chaste beauty of the interior or the rare work- 
manship of the doorway. The key is kept close by. 

To return by a longer route, immediately after passing the 
church we turn to the right, and very soon to the right again 
through a gate. The lane, which is rather steep, runs between 
walls, until another turn to the right brings us on the mountain 
side, with nothing to obstruct our view of sea, and coast, and 
mountains. The road soon runs between walls again, until we 
pass through a gate, and immediately through another, to the 
right. The green trackway keeps along the hill-side, tending up- 
wards, and presently we reach the remains of a stone building, 
where we turn right, through a gate, and wind left round the 
shoulder of the hill, to a point where the road runs up towards 
Bwlch-y-llan (the way to take for a view of Snowdon, as described 
in the next paragraph). Here we bear right through a gate, and 
wind round the nil! to Cell Fawr. Before the house is reached 
we turn to the right by a track which passes some out-buildings, 
and soon follow a path which runs to the left of rocky ground in 
front, and reaches a mountain road, where we turn to the right 
for Cell Fechan and Barmouth. Total distance, between five and 
six miles. This expedition might be accomplished on pony 
back; and, of course, by following the road from Cell Fawr, past 
Gwastad Annas, the Panorama View could easily be included in 
the round. 

And now for a mountain scramble. Beaching Cell Fawr 
once more by the route behind the Cors-y-gedol, described on 
the last page, the road we traversed in our last ramble runs 
up the hill to the left of the house, and presently we join the 
Bwlch-y-llan road at the spot previously mentioned. Follow 
it (right) until you reach the gate at the head of the pass, and 
then climb (left) to a cairn (1,459 feet), a walk of an hour 
and a half from Barmouth. Looking along the range we are 
standing on, Snowdon is the first summit to the left of it, 
and we see all the hills down past Moel Hebog to the peaks 
of the Rivals on the sea shore. This is a delightful spot for 
a summer afternoon's ramble, looking out over the Snowdon- 
ian heights and the long coast-line on one side, and the Estu- 
ary with Cader, the Arans, the Arenigs, and many far-reach- 
ing summits on the other. Here we may say that it is diffi- 
cult to go far afield on the Barmouth hills without scaling 



68 feAkMOUTtt. Aniiqu&iei. 

walls, which can often be done with little difficulty, and visi- 
tors should always be careful not to leave any of the stones 
displaced, or, we may add, any gates open. We can extend 
our walk from the cairn along the Llawllech range to Diph- 
wys ; or when we reach an immense heap of stones divided by 
a wall, and see the Ysgethin brook running to the sea beyond 
Pen-y-ddinas hill, turn down towards that little hill and reach 
Carneddau Hengwm. The gable of an old building comes in 
view, and if we direct our steps towards the building we 
shall reach the Carneddau, passing a small stone circle (near 
a ruined sheep-cote), and other traces of by-gone ages, on our 
way. 

The Interesting collection of antiquities called Carneddau Hen- 
gwm (the Cairns of Hengwm) are easily reached by taking the 
Harlech road for three miles, and then turning to the right, and 
following the course of the Egryn brook for rather more than a 
mile, until we approach an old building beyond a little hill, 
Pen-y-ddinas, when the Carneddau will be seen a little way to 
the right. They consist of a collection of large stones, some 
erect, which once formed a cromlech, and (divided from them by 
a modern wall) two huge mounds of small stones, in one of which 
a passage, about three feet long, leads to a chamber some five 
feet in height, and nearly a couple of yards across, with a great flat 
stone for its roof. The antiquary will climb Pen-y-ddinas, where 
the ancient entrenchments are still plainly marked, and where 
there is a glorious view into Snowdonia; and a couple of miles' 
walk (N.E.) from the Carneddau would take us to Llyn Irddyn, 
which we shall reach by road. 

Dyffryn Cromlechs and Cors-y-gredol 



The western slopes of Llawllech are strewn thick with 
ancient remains, and a more attractive walk for the antiquary 
and the lover of mountain solitudes than that which leads 
past Llyn Irddyn into the recesses of the hills can scarcely 
be desired. Llyn Irddyn and Llyn Bodlyn can be visited on 
ponies, hired at Barmouth. Pedestrians will make their 
way by various routes ; the best, perhaps, from Barmouth is 
along the Harlech road to Tai-y-bont (4 m.), where the Ys- 
gethin stream is crossed, and then along its course until the 
road from Cors-y-gedol is joined. Llyn Irddyn is about three 
miles (or, as it is a considerable ascent, say H hour) from 
Tal-y-bont, and the way cannot well be missed if it is re- 
membered that the Ysgethin drains all the lakes. We shall 
take our way past Cors-y-gedol, from Dyffryn (Llanenddwyu) 
station — 5 m. from Barmouth ; and as we leave the station, 
if it is clear, the cone of Snowdon is seen east of north. The 
curious structure raised high above the ground, near the 
railway station, is, or was, used as a dwelling-place. 

To Dyffryn visitors should come whose walking powers 
are not equal to the long expedition we propose, for there 



Cromlechs. BARMOUTH. tfl 

are various objects near well worth seeing. Cors-y-gedol is 
two miles away, through the village, in which, near the 
Cromlech Temperance House (and about a hundred yards 
behind a school-house), we see a couple of Cromlechs. 
The larger, four erect stones with a superincumbent one, 
has a cavity big enough for four or five people to crouch in. 
Another five minutes walk along the high road brings us 
to the Cors-y-gedol lodges, and the little church of Llan- 
ddwywe, containing a chapel of the Vaughans of Cors-y- 
gedol, with curious monuments — the kneeling effigies of one 
of the family and his two sons behind him, and of his wife 
and four daughters behind her (dated 1606). The drive to 
Cors-y-g'ecfOl ascends for a mile from the lodge gates 
to a fine Elizabethan mansion, with a gateway attributed to 
Inigo Jones. Cors-y-gedol was the old family seat of the 
Vaughans, descendants of an Irish nobleman, Osborn or 
Osber Wyddel, the remains of whose mansion are supposed 
to be at Byrllys, a spot marked on the ordnance map, a 
circular entrenched hillock, about a mile to the north of 
Cors-y-gedol. A little way beyond the house we shall find 
a famous cromlech stone, Coeten Arthur (Arthur's Quoit), 
being, according to tradition, a quoit the prince of that name 
once upon a time threw from Moelfre for amusement. In 
confirmation of the truth of the story, there are to be seen 
the marks of the royal fingers, eighteen inches long, on the 
stone to this day ! But it should be stated that there is 
some doubt whether this, or one of the stones we have seen 
at Dyffryn village, is the genuine article. To reach the 
Cors-y-gedol " quoit," we go to the right of the out-buildings, 
turn left behind them, and then right again under a row of 
trees. In a few minutes an old road runs to the right, by 
which we reach Coeten Arthur almost immediately. The 
road afterwards passes an old cottage (where there is an 
entrance into the picturesque woods), and then crosses the 
Ysgethin, and runs to Llyn Irddyn, which is about 2\m. 
from Cors-y-gedol. [Soon after crossing the Ysgethin the 
road forks, and if (instead of keeping left to the lake) we 
turned right, we should, to our right, find a large maen-hir 
(an erect stone), a huge heap of stones, and other ancient 
remains, at a spot where there is a particularly fine view 
of the Snowdonian mountains.] 

On the western shore of Llyn Irddyn antiquaries find traces of 
an ancient city, and even the uneducated eye may detect ruins 
of rude habitations. A little stream runs into the Ysgethin, on 
the other side of which is a low fortified hill, Craig-y-ddinas. 
Our roadway, indistinct in places, runs on past the lake (which 
Is to our right), and strikes another road near a quaint bridge; 
we continue up the stream, and after half an hour's walk from Ir- 
ddyn reach Uyn Bodlyn (1,240 feet), a fine sheet ol water, backed by 



70 BARMOUTH. Cwm Bychan 

a splendid amphitheatre of hills, where the sensation of solitude 
can be enjoyed to perfection. Passing to the right of Bodlvn (a 
lake selected to supply Barmouth with water), in half an hour 
more we arrive at IAyn Dulyn ; and here we can make our way 
back over Diphwys, which rises to our right as we approach the 
lake, or along the ridge on our left to Moolfro (1,894 feet), the 
• rounded mountain which stands in front of the range towards the 
sea, and has been a conspicuous object during our ramble. Moelfre 
is an hour's steady walk from Dulyn, and, seeing that it can be 
easily ascended from Dyffryn station, it is well to describe the 
view. Beginning at the end of the Carnarvonshire promontory 
we see the line of hills running up to the Rivals; then Moel 
Hebog, Snowdon, the Glyders, the dark head of Tryfan, the Car- 
nedd Llewelyn range, Cnicht, Moelwyn, Moel Siabod, Cader Idris, 
and (immediately behind us) Diphwys, Llethr, and Rhinog Fach 
and Rhinog Fawr, divided by Drws Ardudwy. Drws Ardudwy 
means "the Door of Ardudwy"; and Ardudwy is the Welsh name 
of the whole of this region between Dolgelley and Beddgelert, ex- 
tending to the sea and the Carnarvonshire boundary. 

From Dyffryn station it is about four miles to the summit 
of Moelfre. Taking the same direction, and keeping to the left 
of Moelfre, we should reach Drws Ardudwy in between eight 
and nine miles. And before we leave this interesting district 
we may advise the pedestrian not to despise even the stones 
out of which the roadside walls are built, for, if he has any 
knowledge of glaciation, he will light upon some which are 
" scratched and grooved with parallel lines," denoting " the 
grinding action of the glaciers " which once descended from 
these hills. 

Mochraa, Cwm Bychan and Harlech Castle. 

These excursions are included in our Llanbedr and Harlech 
section, to which the reader is referred for a fuller description 
of the places mentioned below ; but Cwm Bychan is the resort of * 
many visitors at Barmouth, and must not be omitted here. Cheap 
excursions often run, by rail and carriage, or carriage all the 
way, from Barmouth to Cwm Bychan. The hardy pedestrian may 
start from Dyffryn station and make his way by Drws Ardud- 
wy and Bwlch Tyddiad to the lake. Llanbedr and Pen-sarn 
station, to which many visitors come, is also the station for 
Mochras beach, the hunting ground for shells. From Pen-sarn it 
is six miles and a half through Llanbedr to Cwm Bychan; ve- 
hicles are generally waiting at the station in the summer. Be- 
yond Cwm Bychan are "the Roman Steps," up which we go to 
pass round to Drws Ardudwy. From the lake the pedestrian is 
advised to walk back to Harlech, about five miles (turning to the 
right out of the Llanbedr road, near Dol-wreiddiog, where the 
cars are put up), and on his way ascend Moel Senigl for a view 
of uncommon beauty. Finally, he can see Harlech Castle. 

To the Precipice Walk and Waterfalls. 

These excursions are included in the Dolgelley section, but we 
will mention them briefly, referring the reader for fuller details 
to the pages dealing with Dolgelley. The rail to Dolgelley will 
serve in part for all of them, but conveyances run by road from 
Barmouth for the falls, and this is more convenient, since the 
furthest of them is eight miles from Dolgelley. The road as far 



Diphwys. BARMOUTH. 71 

as Llanelltyd is described on page 76; from there the drlye is 
up the beautiful Ganllwyd valley, past Ty'n-y-groes, following 
the Mawddach all the way to Rhaiadr Mawddach (14 miles), close 
to which are the buildings of the Gold Mine, opened out by Mr. 
Pritohard Morgan, and much talked of a few years ago. The 
pedestrian from Dolgelley can cross the Precipice Walk to Ty'n-y- 
groes, and thus include all the sights in one round. 

For mountaineers Barmouth offers several attractions, 
Cader Idris, of course, the first among them. Snowdon is 
possible of achievement in one day, if the first train is taken 
to Portmadoc, and a carriage hired to Beddgelert; but 
there are also mountains at 'hand, and the following walk 
affords a succession of very fine views. 

Over Diphwys to Drws Ardudwy. 

Diphwys can be reached from Barmouth by several routes. The 
best, perhaps, is up the Sylfaen lane (page 65) to Sylfaen farm, 
reached in § h., after passing one or two farms on the way. [From 
Sylfaen farm a trackway runs to the summit of the ridge of 
Llawllech which leads to Diphwys, and this more invigorating 
route will be taken by some climbers. We describe an easier 
way]. Immediately before Sylfaen is reached bear to the left of 
it by a field track; in twenty minutes reach a deserted farm; 
and soon after enter a field where we see two gates leading out 
of it on the opposite side. Taking the left-hhnd one, near this 
gate we find a well, Ffynnon Oledd, once resorted to from miles 
around by rheumatic patients. We bear upwards here to a 
rocky point, cross a stile to the left of it, and follow a path, 
which, after running some distance along a wall, leads to a 
stone stile; this has to be crossed and then we climb the hill- 
side towards Bwlch Llawllech, to which a road or a path, though 
sometimes almost invisible, has led us all the way. At the Bwlch 
we pass through a gate and gain a fine view of Snowdon. We turn 
right for the summit, catching sight of Llyn Bodlyn and Llyn 
Dulyn as we go along, and, just before the final climb, find a 
spring of water. Time to the summit of Diphwys (2,462 feet), 3 
hours. The view Includes Snowdonia; a long coast line, with 
Pwllheli, Criccieth, and Portmadoc; Trawsfynydd lies far below 
us on the north-east; Llyn Cwm Mynach is east of us, Llyn-y- 
fran further off; we look down into the deep and bare Cwm 
Llechau on the south; and the Estuary of the Mawddach is a 
beautiful feature in the scene. We keep on over the hill, and in 
a few steps Festiniog, which will be a prominent object at many 
points of our walk, comes into view. Our way lies past Llyn Du- 
lyn, which is a little way below us, and, walking under the rocky 
ridge of Crib-y-rhiw till we come in sight of Llethr (2,475 feet), we 
ascend it (| hour from Diphwys), and keep on until Llyn Howel 
on the left of the ridge and Llyn-y-bi on the right are seen. 
Avoiding a dangerous precipice where the wall runs above Llyn- 
y-bi, we need not descend to the shores of Llyn Howel, but it is 
worth while to do so. Rhinos: Fach (2,333 feet) rises abruptly out 
of the lake, and it is a most impressive scene. We can keep past 
Llyn Howel down a stony valley into the Drws Ardudwy path, 
or cross Rhinog Fach for the sake of gaining a still grander view 
of Snowdonia than we have yet enjoyed, and descend into the 
Drws itself, returning from there to Llanbedr or Dyffryn. [See 
description of Drws Ardudwy]. The walk is seldom taken, but 
the views of the sea and mountains all along this range will well 
repay the toil. The time from Barmouth to Drws Ardudwy would. 



72 BARMOUTH. Walk*. 

be about five hours, and the distance from the Drws to Dyffryn 
station is between eight and nine miles. 

An easier way of reaching these heights is by starting 
from Penmaen-pool station along the new road (toll, vehicles, 
6d., cyclists, 2d., pedestrians, Id.) across the valley, crossing 
the Dolgelley road, and ascending a lane which follows the 
course of a stream coming down from Llyn Cwm Mynach 
(4£m.). It is a pretty walk or drive up the steep lane, 
through the trees. A gold mine (on the left) is passed, and 
after more open country is reached the road forks to the left 
over the shoulder of a hill. Soon the lake (much frequented 
by wild ducks) comes in sight, and as we approach it a green 
slope, with a tramway descending it from an old manganese 
mine, is seen on the left. Up this slope you can make your 
way for Diphwys. The road goes on to a slate quarry a mile 
and a half further, beyond which the ridge between Llyn-y- 
bi and Llyn Howel can be surmounted; but for those who 
are not inclined to cross the mountains, a walk of 4\ miles 
leads from the quarry, following the course of a stream, to 
Rhaiadr Du Waterfall, and on to Ty'n-y-groes. 

Walks South of the Estuary. 

The walks to the south of the Mawddach are also attractive. 
There are several ways ol crossing to the south. A boat can be 
taken at high tide to Arthog, either from Barmouth or Aber- 
amffra ; or the Barmouth ferry from the quay, and then there is a 
walk or tram (p. 60) over the sands to Fairbourne station and Friog. 
The view of Barmouth with its background of mountains is very 
effective from the sands. Another way is to cross the Bridge by 
train or on foot (but In a high wind the sand is sometimes 
troublesome) to Barmouth Junetton, and from there walk to the 
lower Towyn road. 

The lower Towyn road is the base of many attractive walks, 
short and long. Near a chapel which is soon reached from the 
Junction, is a gate opening into a wood, through which we might 
ascend to the breezy heights and the upper Towyn road, running 
along the slopes of Cader Idris, some thousand feet above the 
sea; or, after leaving the lower road, bending to the right above 
a cottage, and climbing the path until it divides, we might fol- 
low the right branch, which runs up steeply to a brook, where, 
when it is full, there is a pretty little fall. The path crosses the 
stream, and continues through the wood to a lane which leads to 
Pant Einion, mentioned below, but the track is overgrown and 
much obstructed. To the right along the lower Towyn road (about 
two miles from the Junction, and half a mile from Fairbourne) is 
Friog (where there are a few lodging houses), and lust before 
reaching it a road turns up to the left at Henddol for Pant Binion 
(5 mile from Henddol). Here there is a little waterfall, and the 
walk might be continued by a lane which runs to the left, passes 
through a little upland valley, and descends by some slate word- 
ings to the Towyn road, not far from the Junction. Further 
along the Towyn road from Henddol, through Friog, is IMeyn-g-wri) 
(about six miles from Barmouth), The road commands fine views 
and the train can be taken to return; but it is better to re" 
yerse the route, and to walk back o$ a cjear evening tovfaxcTs sua- 



Arthog. BARMOUTH. 75 

set, for delightful glimpses of the Snowdonian mountains, includ- 
ing Snowdon itself. In the other direction, from the Junction, 
towards Dolgelley, is Arthog, but Arthog is conveniently reached 
by train. 

A longer walk on the hills may be mentioned. Starting up the 
road to the slate quarries (which leaves the Towyn road a 
few minutes' walk west of the chapel), near some workings about 
half a mile from the Towyn road a lane runs up the hill for 
about a mile (past Cyfannedd Fawr farm) into a mountain road 
to Llwyn-gwril. This road we cross, and climb the hill-side to 
the upper Towyn road, where the views over the Estuary are 
very fine. Keeping to the right until the road descends and 
passes over a little stream, we can then cross Pen-gam (1,504 feet) 
to Llwyn-gioril, or continue along the road to Tonfanau, or to Llan- 
egryn and Towyn. The distance from Barmouth Junction to 
Llwyn-gwril station over the hill by the way we have described is 
about seven miles; the track across Pen-gam is indistinct, and 
an ordnance map should be carried. 

ArthogTt with its falls (for which tickets must be ob- 
tained at the hotel), is three miles by rail from Barmouth. 
Lodgings can be found there. From Arthog it is a pleasant 
walk to Llys Bradwen, and Llyniau Creigenen. Reaching 
the high road from the station, we turn to the right, and 
immediately find a lane running up through the woods. 
Not long after leaving them the lane turns left (where an 
old road runs up hill), to a stream, on the other side of 
which are the outlines of Ll$8 Bradwen, an ancient mansion 
supposed to be that of Ednowain ap Bradwen, who lived in 
the 12th century. Crossing the stream and field, and pas- 
sing a stone circle, a trackway is reached ; we go a little way 
along it to the right, and then a path runs left to the 
Creigfenen Lakes (800 feet), picturesquely situated 
under the curiously-shaped hill, Pared-y-cefn-hir ^the Wall 
of the Long Ridge). • Here we are about two miles from 
Arthog station. From the lakes, reaching the. upper Towyn 
road, which is a short distance away (S.), we may follow it 
to the left for about a couple of miles, and turning down a 
lane where we see a deep-wooded glen, on the left, make 
our way by a circuitous route into the Abergwynant Valley, 
and so to Penmaen-pool station, which is reached by turning 
to the right on entering the lower Towyn road. The valley, 
with its pleasant stream and beautiful woods, is a delight- 
ful place to ramble in, and the brook, which runs into the 
Mawddach, will guide our steps to the lower road. The 
total distance from Arthog to Penmaen-pool station is about 
eight miles. From Penmaen-pool to the entrance to the 
glen is one mile and a half. 

Those who are inclined for longer expeditions should travel 
by rail to Towyn for excursions in the Dysynni Valley, to Tal- 
y-llyn, and Cader, which are described under Towyn. To Towyn 
by rail, by boat up the river nearly to the Bird Rock, and back 
by rail from Abergynolwyn. would make a pleasant round; or by 



74 BARMOUTH. Coder IdrU. ^ 

the public conveyance to Tal-y-llyn and back over Cader Idris 
(p. 59). We will lead the reader by another walk back to Bar- 
mouth. Go by rail to Abergynolwyn, and walk to Castell-y-bere 
and Uanfihangel (page 57). Returning from Llanflhangel to the 
junction of the Abergynolwyn and Towyn roads [see page 59], 
the way lies to the right, until the last of a little group of farms 
is reached, and there a stream is crossed and we ascend and 
follow a green road running over the left shoulder of the hill, 
crossing it, and then over the right shoulder of another hill into 
the upper Towyn road near the spot described in the last para- 
graph but one, where the ascent of Pen-garn is begun. Turning 
to the right along the road we soon cross a stream, and, soon 
after our road begins to descend, make our way down the hill- 
side, cross the mountain road to Llwyn-gwril and follow the lane 
past Cyfannedd Fawr and the slate quarry to the Junction, t»s 
described in the reverse direction on page 73. Distance direct 
from Abergynolwyn, 8£ m.; including the deviation to Llanfl- 
hangel, 10 m. 

Ascent of Cader Idris. 

The walk from Arthog (reached by railway) to the summit 
of Cader Idris is not more than six miles — rather shorter 
than by the pony path from Dolgelley, and decidedly finer. 
It is easy to find ; but there is a stiff piece of climbing from 
the upper Towyn road to the ridge. We ascend the lane on 
the right of Arthog Hotel until we reach the stream oppo- 
site Llys Bradwen, mentioned on the last page ;then, keeping 
on the right of it, follow a track which leads past a farm 
and almost straight to the upper Towyn road. The road 
has to be taken to the left for a little way until we reach 
a house on the left (Hafotty Fach). Opposite this (780 feet) 
we turn to the right, through a gate, and cross a field to a 
small plantation, when, passing through a gateway in a wall, 
we bear left to a wall running up the hill. The stiffest part 
of the walk is now before us, .as we first of all follow this 
wall for awhile, and then, bearing left over the wall, climb 
gradually to the col (about 1,700 feet) and so to Tyrau Mater 
(2,167 feet), the bold precipices of which have fronted us on 
our walk from Arthog. [To the east of the summit, accord-, 
mg to the ordnance map, a Roman road (Llwybr Cam Rhed 
ynen, freely translated the Zig-zag Path) ascends, and reache. 
a height of 2,021 feet]. Here the prospect is a noble one 
Immediately below lie Llyniau Creigenen, with the Estuarw 
beyond, and a wide expanse of sea from Bardsey Isle to thef 
coast of Pembrokeshire. Across the Estuary, a little to the 
left of north, the peak of Moel Hebog rises over the ranee 
?£ L1 *7 llech with Snowdon to the right of Moel Hebog, then 
the Glyders, Tryfan, and Carnedd Llewelyn; Moelwyn, 
Manod, and Moel Siabod (with Festiniog in front of it) 
nearer ; Arenig and the Arans ; and on the south the rounded 
summits of Plynlimmon and more distant mountains 



yH^ H 



* 



in 



BARMOUTH 



N 



nno" 



CA&JF.AH& 




To Dolgelley. BARMOUTH. 75 

South Wales. The head of Cader is about two miles and a 
half away along this elevated ground — a walk about 2,000 ft. 
high, at last ascending to nearly 3,000, and such a view on 
either hand for much of the distance as can only be enjoyed, 
in equal proportion, in three or four other places in Wales : 
2,000 feet below us on the left, the Estuary, with its many- 
coloured hills ; on the right, the beautiful valley of the 
Dysynni running down to the sea. In about a mile the bridle 
path from Dolgelley is reached, near a wall (1,840 feet). 
The path (to be described in our Dolgefley chapter) then 
lies over the right of Cyfrury (the Saddle), the rising ground 
before us, and the summit, Pen-y-gfader (2,927 feet), is 
reached in 45 minutes from the wall ; from Arthog, 3 hours. 

For the descent to Dolgelley by the Fozet' Path see p. 91. For 
the Bridle Path return to the point (near a wall) mentioned above, 
then turn to the right and follow a well-defined path which des- 
cends to the old Towyn road, and there turn to the right. Some 
mountaineers will wish to explore the whole range, finally reach- 
ing the Gross Foxes, or descending by an old road to Dolgelley. 
The best way in starting is to take the lane from Arthog des- 
cribed on page 73 until the stream is seen; then (not descending 
to the stream) follow the road up the hill to the upper Towyn 
road, climb the shoulder on the left, and so reach the summit of 
Craig Cwm Llwyd (in a little over an hour from Arthog). From 
here they can make their elevated way to the Cross Foxes Inn, 
passing over Gallt-y-llyn (below which, on the left, lies Llyn 
Cyri), Twll-yr-ogof, Tyrau Mawr, Pen-y-Gader, Mynydd Moel, and 
Geugraig. The time from Craig Cwm Llwyd will be— to Gallt-y- 
llyn, 35 m., on to Tyrau Mawr, 1 hour, Pen-y-Gader (summit of 
Cader), 65 m., Mynydd Moel, 30 m., Geugraig, 45 m. But for Dol- 
gelley it is better to begin the descent soon after leaving the 
ridge which runs down from Mynydd Moel, and descend to the 
left of what looks like an old quarry on the side of Geugraig. 
Keep on, not descending much until you see walls in front and a 
distant farm house rather to the left ; then descend to the left and 
find a gate in a wall. Passing through the gate bend a little left, 
pass down to the left of a wall and through an opening in it, and 
find a path running down, over a little stream, and to the right 
of a wall. When the old road is reached by a barn turn to 
the left, and keep on the right of the Aran stream to the town. 
Time from Arthog to Dolgelley, 8 hours, with allowance for rest- 
ing. For the Cross Foxes keep along the ridge and finally des- 
cend on the right to the Tal-y-llyn road. 

Barmouth to Dolgelley. 

The journey by rail to Dolgelley is exceedingly fine, but 
the journey by road perhaps surpasses it, and every one 
should walk or drive along the Estuary. By rail we cross 
the Bridge to the Junction and Arthog; Tyrau Mawr rising 
boldly on the right. The Estuary looks like a succession of 
lakes when the tide is full ; the Llawllech range, culmin- 
ating in Diphwys, faces us across the water ; and, under a 
glowing sun, the colours of the marvellous panorama, once 
seen, cannot soon be forgotten. Beyond Penmaen-pool, 



76 BARMOUTH. Bont-ddn. 

looking up on the left, above a large plantation, Gallt-yr- 
Heddwch (mentioned below), we see the workings of one of 
the gold mines, and then there is an abrupt turn in the 
course of the Mawddach, which comes from the north down 
the Ganllwyd Valley, to the right of which rises Moel 
Cynwch, where the Precipice Walk runs. Boon we cross 
the Wnion and follow its course to Dolgelley, catching a 
view of the summit of Cader on the right. 

By road, when, the last houses of Barmouth are passed, 
beyond the entrance to the Bridge, we descend to Aber- 
amffra Harbour, and round the next corner have an extensive 
view of the Estuary. Two miles from the town, a lateral 
valley, watered by a little stream, affords an opening in the 
hills, and a road by which we could ascend Diphwys, or, 
for a shorter walk, make our way to the Sylfaen lane, and 
so back to Barmouth. Three miles further along the Dol- 
gelley road (5 miles from Barmouth) the Halfway House at 
Bont-ddu is reached, and here another stream rushes 
down to the Mawddach, forming a picturesque fall on its 
way. To visit the fall pass in front of the house, and 
through a gate to a path which leads to a broader path. 
Descend this to a lovely dell, in which the fall will be 
found. The road that runs up near the stream (and can be 
reached from the dell) would take us across the Llawllech 
range to Pont Ysgethin and Dyffryn ; or to the summit of 
Diphwys. The road passes near the gold mines of Vigra 
and Clogau (of which we say more below), which are not far 
from Bont-ddu. Clogau is on the right of the stream. A 
mile and a quarter beyond the Halfway House (still journey- 
ing towards Dolgelley), the road to Penmaen-pool, distant 
about half-a-mile, is on the right, and the stream and lane 
from Llyn Cwm Mynach are on the left. Here is a choice 
of routes— through Penmaen-pool it is a mile shorter than 
by the highway to Dolgelley, but the road through Llan- 
elltyd is worth following to the end* for the fine views of the 
Cader range which it affords. It leads us under the slopes 
of Moel Ispri, called Gallt-yr-Heddwch, the Plantation of 
the Peace, because, when work was slack at the conclusion 
of the "Short Peace" with Napoleon, Colonel Vaughan of 
the Merionethshire Militia employed his men to plant the 
trees. At Llanelltyd we cross the Mawddach, as it comes 
out of the Ganllwyd valley, up which the road runs to Ty'n- 
y-groes, the waterfalls, and the gold mines. Near Llan- 
elltyd, to the left when the bridge is crossed, is Cymmer 
Abbey. 

♦i^Sy 1 * 116 ™ i* l8 two mile8 to Dolgelley by road, but about half 
!5S di ***nce by a short cut. Where (after, the bridge la crossed) 
the road turns to the right, a ticket admits to a footpath, on the 



Gold Minn. DOLGELLEY. 71 

right of which you soon see Hengwrt, noted as being once tta* 
resting-place of the Hengwrt MSS., and now the residence of 
Hiss Frances Power Cobbe. Presently, where there is a cottage 
to the right, the footpath joins a field track, which runs straight 
on, under trees, and leads to a lane where you turn to the right 
for Dolgelley. 

The Gold Mines. 

The Gold Mines of Merionethshire have gone through many 
vicissitudes in a short time. Forty years ago the owner of the 
Vigra and Clogau mines, whioh had been worked for copper, 
began to work them for gold, and the discovery of sixty thousand 
pounds' worth in a " bunch " excited high hopes, which have 
never been realized. Many other mines were opened from time 
to time, the most famous of whioh were commonly known as Mr. 
Pritchard Morgan's (Gwynfynydd), near the falls of the Maw- 
ddach and Pistyll Cain; but most of them were soon closed, 
and all had a chequered history. Of late there has been a re- 
vival, owing, we believe, to the introduction of new methods of 
working, and in 1899 something like 200 men were engaged at 
Clogau, and a considerable number at Gwynfynydd. Attempts 
have also been made to extract gold from the bed of the Maw- 
ddach by dredging, and the works may be seen close to Pen- 
maen-pool station. 



2)olfleUe». 



KXCUBSION8 AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Torrent Walk, entrance 2 m., the round, 5$, 
Precipice Walk, there and back,7£, or by short cut, 64., 
round including Torrent and Precipice Walks, about 12 
(Cambrian conveyances to Torrent and Precipice Walks 
ply in summer), Nannau, 24, Llanfachreth, 4, Rhobell Fawr, 
about 7J, Penmaen-pool, 2$, Abergwynant Valley, 4, Ar- 
thog, 6J, Bont-ddu (over Penmaen-pool Bridge), 4, Barmouth 
(ditto), 9, Llanelltyd and Cymmer Abbey, 2, by short cut a 
little over 1 (by which the distance to Barmouth, Ty'n-y-groes, 
and placet beyond it also of course shortened by a mile), Bar- 
mouth, via Llanelltyd, 10, Ty'n-y-groes, driving road, 5, 
by Precipice Walk, 5, Rhaiadr Du. 6i, Pistyll Cain, Rhai- 
adr Mawddach, and- Gold Works, 8, Trawsfynydd station, 
13}, Festiniog, (short cut), 18, Cross Foxes Inn, 3J (rough old 
road), 2i, Tal-y-llyn (driving), 9J, (old road), 84, (over shoul- 
der of Cader), 7£, Corris station, (driving : coaches connected 
with Cambrian Railway sometimes run), 10J, Aberllefeni sta- 
tion, 7, Dinas Mawddwy village, 10 (old road, 9), Towyn, 
(coach road), 20, (old road), 16-17, Abergynolwyn station (by 
Cader pony path), 11, Summit of Cader (pony path), over 6, 
Foxes' Path), about 4}, Aran route, between five and six 
miles. 

By flatf.— Penmaen-pool, 2\ (for Abergwynant Valley, 1J, 
Cwm Mynach Valley, 1, Bont-ddu, 2,), Arthog 7 (for Llyniau 
Creigenen, 2, Ascent of Cader, about 6), Barmouth 10 (see 
Barmouth excursions), Harlech, 20, Towyn, 18, Bont 
Newydd, 3 (for Llanfachreth, 2J, Rhobell Fawr, about 5), 
Drws-y-nant, 7 (for shortest ascent of Arans), Bala, 19, Cor- 
wen, 29, Llangollen, 39, Trawsfynydd, 36, Festiniog, 40. 
[Any excess of a mile is, in most instances, counted as a 
whole mile]. 



78 DOLGELLEY. Excursion*. 

Bay Excursions.— The following are dally rounds to see a 
good deal of fine country.— Train to Penmaen-pool, walk to 
Barmouth, back by train. Drive to Plstyll Cain and 
Rhaladr Mawddach, walk to Trawsfynydd, back by train 
through Bala. Walk or drive to Abergynolwyn, via Tal- 
y-llyn, back by train (25 m. of rail). Walk to Aberllefeni 
or drive to Corris, back by train (36J m. from Corris, 38 
from Aberllefeni). Drive about 9J m. along Trawsfynydd 
road, walk over by Roman Steps and Cwm Bychan to Pen- 
sarn station (about 12 m.), back by train (18 m). To Fes- 
tiniog (via Bala), by rail, to see the Falls. 

PROFESSOR WILSON once said to Cyrus Redding, 
" Did you ever see anything so beautiful as a Welsh 
valley? We have higher mountains in Scotland, finer 
scenery about the more beautiful English lakes, though the 
mountains are not quite so high as in Wales, but neither 
the north of England, nor Scotland, no, nor all Switzerland, 
can exhibit anything so tranquil, romantic, snug, and beauti- 
ful as a Welsh valley. There is nothing like it, I believe, 
in the world !" This is high praise, and when we first met 
with it we were curious to know whether any particular 
district in Wales was in Christopher North's mind. We 
found that there was, and that the suggestive spot was— 

Dolsrelley. 

The architecture of Dolgelley has been described very 
quaintly, by an old gentleman after dinner, with the aid of 
a decanter and a handful of nutshells, thus : — " You see 
this decanter ; that is the church." Then, taking the shells 
and pouring them over the decanter, he said, " and these 
are the houses !" And if you were to try for a week you 
could not describe the place better. There is nothing parti- 
cular in the town itself to interest the visitor ; but he will 
hear the curfew rung in the evening (at 9 o'clock), after 
which, on another bell, the number of the days of the month 
is tolled. He will find everything he wants in the hotels 
and private lodgings, some in the town and a few on the 
hill-sides, and, once settled at Dolgelley, he, will be loth to 
leave the centre of so many beautiful walks. The town, which 
is less than 50 feet above the sea, has a winter population 
of 2,437. The water supply comes from Llyn Cynwch, near 
the Precipice Walk, and high among the hills. Dolgelley 
is noted for its manufacture of Welsh fabrics ; and, by the 
way, not to mention other streams, the Wnion and Mawdd- 
ach afford sport to the angler for trout, and Mr Lloyd Price, 
an authority on fishing, in his " Walks in Wales " says that 
the Mawddach is " one of the best sewin and salmon riven 
in North Wales, if not the best." 

The walk or drive to Barmouth is perhaps the finest of all 
the excursions by road from Dolgelley, but we hare already 



tdrls. bOLGELLEY. T» 

described it (p. 76). Visitors to Dolgelley will refer to the 
Barmouth section for the attractions of that town, and for 
places of resort, such as Bont-ddu and its waterfall, which 
lie about midway between the two towns. In summer time 
coaches and brakes run between Barmouth and Dolgelley; 
and it is a delightful excursion to go to Barmouth by rail or 
road and take a boat or steam-launch up the Estuary to Pen- 
maen-pool. 

" Lord bless the people, what things do come into their 
heads ! Mine is at present very full of Eader Idris ; I never 
saw it till this summer, and a grand sight it is." So said 
Mrs. Piozzi, and her opinion is endorsed by hundreds of 
people every season. Mrs. Hemans makes Cader Idris the 
place where the wonderful stone lies, on which, if a man 
Bleeps for a night, he awakes a poet or a madman, a fable 
of genius more usually associated with the Maen Du'r 
Arddu on Snowdon. Mr. Halliwell, hearing this legend, 
remarks, " The simple inventor of it did not know that the 
terms were svnonvmous." 

Cader is the ordinary Welsh for a chair (borrowed from the Latin 
cathedra), but is used in Welsh place-names for the tops of moun- 
tains, or even those of hills or ridges, sometimes in combination 
with the name of some notable character of legend or romance. 
The word "seat" is used in much the same way in the north, 
where, besides Arthur's Seat, there are hills or mountains called 
Earl Seat and Simon Seat (from the celebrated Teutonic hero, Sig- 
mund), near Bolton Abbey, Rogan's Seat and Pin Seat, near 
Muker, Lord's Seat and High Seat, near Keswick, &c. As 
to Idris, the statement that he was an astronomer (from 
which it has been first inferred, and then stated as a fact, that 
he used the mountain as an observatory!) is not found in any 
documents of any age or authority; the Triads which say so are 
not the old Welsh Triads, but a recent and apocryphal compila- 
tion. In the local folk-lore he is, of course, "Idris Gawr," i.e., the 
Cavr or "Giant" Idris; and a bona-fide giant too, who shook 
huge boulders out of his shoes as though they were pebbles, and 
strode across deep and broad valleys as if they were so many 
ruts! It seems very probable, however, that he was evolved out 
of a real personage ; as there existed, about 600, an Idris, son of 
Gwyddno, who appears in the list of the princes of this very dis- 
trict of Meirionyad (the land between the Dovey and Mawddach 
estuaries). And it is also very likely that this was the same Idris 
who is mentioned in the oldest annals both of Ireland and Wales 
under or about the year 632; the Welsh account saying that there 
then took place "The slaughter of the Severn and the throat-cut- 
ting of Idris "—this would imply that he was executed as a 
prisoner,— and the Irish "the* war (or battle) of Idris, king of the 
Britons, who fell therein." It seems, therefore, that he played an 
important part in the Welsh history of those times, and that his own 
subjects of Meirionydd enshrined his memory on the top of their 
chief mountain; than which what nobler memorial could there 
be to a prince who died in battle ? Arthur had his seat not only 
on Arthur's Seat at Edinburgh, but on Cader Arthur, the old name 
of the mountain now called Penoader, near Talgarth, in Brecon- 
shire, and Branwen (who will be mentioned under Harlech) per- 



80 DOLGELLEY. Torrent Walk. 

haps had hers on Cader Fronwen, in the Berwyns. It should be 
added that Idris of Meirionydd is called Arw (from qarvo, "rough") 
in some pedigrees, and Gator, " the Giant," in others, and that 
the words garw and gawr seem to have got confused. But in any 
case he was not a seventh-century Tycho Brahe, nor was Cader 
Idris an anticipation of Uranienborg, or the Lick Observatory! 

Cader Idris is less in altitude than the neighbouring Aran 
Fawddwy, the Glyders, Carnedd Llewelyn and Caraedd 
Dafydd, and other Welsh summits ; but what it lacks in feet 
Cader assuredly makes up in grandeur, and by some enthu- 
siasts it is esteemed the grandest of the Cambrian heights. 
The ascent we will describe further on. The summit which 
looks down into the Square at Dolgelley is not Pen-y-Gader, 
the topmost peak of Cader, but Mynydd Moel, about a 
hundred feet lower. 

The Torrent and Precipice Walks. 

The Torrent Walk, as it is called, is situated about 
two miles from Dolgelley. We go as straight as we can from 
the railway bridge through part of the town, and turn left 
near a bridge over the Aran, which we cross. More than a 
mile from the town turn left down a lane, by a wooden build- 
ing. The Torrent Walk begins at a little gate on the right 
hand, near Dol-serau Hall, just before the lane we have come 
by crosses the Clywedog stream, which forms " The Tor- 
rent." The walk, which runs through the grounds of Caer- 
ynwch, mounts, sometimes by steps and sometimes by path, 
up the side of the stream, and the sound and sight of the 
torrent bounding over and between the immense boulders 
beneath are, on a hot day, very delightful. Seats are placed 
at the most attractive points, and the ferns and wild flowers 
are so well protected by the public, that they are allowed to 
grow in the very cracks and joints of the steps. Occasion- 
ally you may meet with a transgressor, but the bulk of the 
visitors respect the friendly notice at the entrance, and leave 
what they find, that others may enjoy the prolific beauty of 
the place. The walk is a mile or so in length, and a board 
informs us where it ends. Here we may cross the stream 
by a foot-bridge, reach a lane, and turn to the right for the 
high road, reaching it at a point about a mile from the 
Cross Foxes, and two miles and a half from Dolgelley. 

Many visitors comhine the Torrent and Precipice Walks in one 
excursion something in this way, which, of course, will serve for 
pedestrians as well. They take a car from Dolgelley which con- 
veys them to the Walk. Then they pass through the wicket gate 
on foot, and ascend the Torrent Walk until they reach the fane 
we have mentioned, where they find the car awaiting them. Th« 
lane is followed to the left for about a mile (avoiding turns to the 
left), when a chapel is passed, and a little hamlet, Pen-y-groes, 



Precipice Walk. DOLGELLEY. 81 

with a shop, beyond which a lane to the left, running In front of 
a row of cottages, must be taken. The lane descends steeply, and 
after a while sweeps round to the railway station, Bont Newydd, 
which has been seen below. [The lane is rough and hilly, and 
not to be recommended to cyclists]. The railway is crossed, and the 
Dolgelley road is followed to the left, until just beyond the en- 
trance to Dol-serau Park you take a road running to the right. 
Then avoid the first road on the right, and where the road forks 
take the right branch, which after a while runs to the left of the 
high wall of Nannau Park. It is a green road here, and rather 
rough. Soon after this Nannau lodge is reached. [See below]. 
The total distance by the Torrent Walk to the Precipice Walk, and 
back to Dolgelley, is about twelve miles. 

The Precipice Walk is one of the things which 
should on no account be missed ; the walking distance need 
not be more than three miles and a half ; and, lest the 
reader should think a " precipice walk " necessarily dan- 
gerous, let us reassure him. A person subject to giddiness 
might find it trying in one or two places, but for the majority 
it is absolutely safe and easy. If you take a car you start 
to the right, from the railway station, towards Bala, and 
when the road forks (in £ mile) take the left branch — the 
Llanfachreth road, which is ascended for a mile (avoiding 
first, in half a mile, a road to the right, and then, in about 
another half mile, one to the left), when Nannau lodge, men- 
tioned in the last paragraph, is reached. The way for 
pedestrians now lies up the shady drive until, at a cross 
road, a notice-board points to the left. Soon the road runs 
under an arch, and reaches Maes-y-brynar. Go through a 
gate, and a notice directs you to the right ; but the road to 
the left (which the other joins) is better, and, after a few 
yards, has an irregular wall on the left guiding you all the 
way to Llyn Cynwch, 

But there is a shorter and pleasanter walking way from 
Dolgelley. Starting from the station as before, take the 
first turning through a gate on the left, a narrow lane lead- 
ing to a house. Immediately behind the house turn right 
for a few steps, and follow a path which ascends slanting to 
the right. The path then runs across the fields, to the left 
of a wood, and through another wood, and soon after turns 
right and immediately left in front of a little farm (Tyddyn 
Bach), and enters a lane where the way lies to the right 
until another lane is reached. Turn left from this point, 
and take the first lane to the right. Keep up this lane for 
some distance, until, after going through a gate, in a minute 
or two you find a path running to the left, near and left of 
a wall enclosing a little wood, and, where the wall bends to 
the right straight up the hill (to the left of another wall), 
and, passirg a gate on your left, a few yards higher you enter 



82 DOLGELLEY. Precipice Walk. 

the grassy road from Maes-y-brynar to Llyn Cynwch and 
turn to the left. The time from the station to the lake by 
this route is perhaps forty minutes, for the route is a con- 
tinual ascent. The total walk round the Precipice and back: 
to Dolgelley is about 6£ miles. 

In Llyn Cynwch (729 feet) you may often see the reflection 
of Cader Idris, though it is far away. The lake is bordered 
on the west by Moel Cynwch and Cefn Mawr (two portions of 
one hill), along the other side of which runs the Precipice 
Walk (about 800 feet), a fact that will help you to find the 
way. If you go past the end of the lake, you turn to the 
right, go through a gate, turn left over a stile, and follow 
the path round, the hill [and this is the way to take if you 
are bound for Ty'n-y-groes and the Waterfalls]. But the 
better way for the circuit of the hill is to reverse this route, 
walk the whole length of Llyn Cynwch on the east shore, 
and, a little further, turn left, and then bear right, and pass 
through a wood to the open mountain-side, where the Walk 
runs. 

Soon after you start, the Arans lift their heads to the right 
of you, and you look into Snowdonia ahead. Moel Offrwm 
rises above Nannau, with the village of Llanfachreth to the 
north of it, and straight across Llanfachreth is Rhobell 
Fawr (2,408 feet). Presently the charming Ganllwyd Vallej 
discloses itself. [Shortly, opposite a refreshment booth, you 
turn down the hill, cross a wall, and go down to the left 
of another wall if you wish to reach the inn at Ty'n-y-groes, 
which is visible from the Walk, and less than two miles 
away. When a road is reached near the river turn to the 
right, and, crossing two tributaries, follow the river until a 
bridge leads you across to Ty'n-y-groes]. Keeping along 
the Precipice Walk, high above the Mawddach, you have 
fresh beauties at almost every turn : and here a word of 
caution is necessary. Unless you wish to destroy the sheep 
grazing below (out of sight perhaps) and possibly to kill a 
fellow creature, leave the stones alone. During the last few 
years several sheep have been done to death by tourists who, 
for their idle amusement, rolled stones down the hill, and 
people walking along the road below have had a very narrow 
escape. After a while you bend rather abruptly to the left, 
and cross a " ladder-stile," one of several on the Walk. 

Here the hill slopes in front of you, and a turn to the right, to 
an opening in the wall which will be found in the lowest corner 
of the green slope, will lead to Llanelltyd and Penmaen-pool. 
The path becomes a cart track, runs to the right of a wall and 
soon through several gates, and after a while a good road is seen 
below on the right — descend to it over the green slope, and it 
leads into the Barmouth road, within a few- score yards of Llanell- 



?oWm'* Tree. DOLGELLEY. 83 

Bridge. Distance from the Precipice Walk to Fcnuiacn-pool 
rat 4 miles. If you are bound for Dolgelley keep to the cart- 
ck until it joins the road, and then, crossing a stile to the 
ht of a barn, follow a track which, bending a little to the right, 
ds to a wooden building, and there turn left by a path which 
is the route described on pages 76, 77. 

keeping to the Precipice Walk, it is not many minutes 
ore Llyn Cynwch is reached again. At the end of the 
e, standing with the lake to your left, the way lies before 
l, and in a few yards bends to the right ; and by keeping to 
s road which has a dilapidated wall on the right nearly all 
j way you would reach Maes-y-brynar and an arch beyond 
after which turn to the right, and when the drive is 
iched to the .right again, for Dolgelley ; but for the short 
t, when you come to the end of the dilapidated wall on 
i right, and see a gate a little way below on the right, 
low a path which runs down the hill, to the left of the 
te and straight down, to the right of some walls, to the 
id described on page 81, where you turn to the right. Take 
i first lane to the left, then the first to the right, and in a 
v score yards turn to the left by a little farm, and follow 
footpath which takes you almost straight to Dolgelley. 
Snowdon can be seen from the Precipice Walk, by looking 
» the Ganllwyd Valley, but it is worth while climbing the 
ort distance to the summit of the hill to see the Snow- 
nian heights more clearly — the Glyders, Tryfan, Carnedd 
ewelyn range, and Moel Siabod, as well as Snowdon itself. 

The situation of Nannau, the old residence of the Vaughan 
nily, which was once, but is no longer, included In the visit to 
i Precipice Walk, is one of the most romantic, with Moel Cynwch 
d Moel Offrwm standing as sentinels over it. In Owen Glen- 
wer's time Howel Sele\ a cousin of the chieftain's, lived in the 
insion of that day, and of the doings of Owen and Howel in 
Is park bards have sung and historians written. Within the 
esent century remains of the old house were to be seen, and 
e ghost of an oak (the site of which is now occupied by a sun- 
U), to which we And the following reference in the Introduction 
the sixth canto of Marmion: — 

All nations have their omens drear, 
Their legends wild of woe and fear. . 
To Cambria look— the peasant see, 
Bethink him of Glendowerdy, 
And shun "the Spirits Blasted Tree." 

fbe Welsh name of the tree is, however, Ceubren yr EUyll, the 
kiln's (or "Boggart's") Hollow Tree, to which the word Derwen 
ik) was sometimes prefixed. As is shown by its name, it had 
b local reputation of being haunted, no doubt by the ghost of 
wel. "Blasted Tree" is a mistranslation of the Welsh Ceuhrtn, 
ilch is the common word for any hollow tree (prsn cau), and is 
tter translated by Bulwer Lytton, who makes it the scene of his 
mance of Arthur: — 

" Of evil fame was Nannau's antique tree, 
Yet styled the hollow oak of Demonrio." 



84 DOLGBLLEY. Bhcbell Fawr. 

Tho tree fell to the ground in the night of the 13th of July. 1813. 
on which dav Sir R. C. Hoare had made a drawing of it. The Hey. 
George Warrington (author of a History of Wales, which had some 
vogue) also wrote a ballad about this tree. 

Pennant tells the tale as follows: — Howel (who was a Lancas 
trian) and his cousin Owen Glendower had long been at variance, 
when the Abbot of Cymmer brought them together and to all ap 
pearances effected a reconciliation; but "while they were wait 
ing out Owen observed a doe feeding, and told Howel, who was rec 
koned the best archer of his days, that there was a fine mark foi 
him. Howel bent his bow, and, pretending to aim at the doe, sud 
denly turned and discharged the arrow full at the breast of Glyn 
dwr, who fortunately had armour beneath his cloaths, so re 
ceived no hurt. Enraged at this treachery, he seized on Sel« 
burnt his house, and hurried him away from the place ; nor coulc 
any one ever learn how he was disposed of, till forty years after 
when the skeleton of a large man, such as Howel, was discovered ii 
the hollow of a great oak tree, in which Owen was supposed to hav 
immured him in reward of his perfidy." Visitors curious to see thi 
dial which marks the site of the Haunted Tree will find it in th< 
old gardens of Nannau, on the east of the Llanfachreth road, and 
near the second milestone. 

Ascent of Rhobell Fawr. 

Mod Offrwm (the Hill of Sacrifice), or Moel Orthrwm (the 
Hill of Oppression), as it is sometimes called, would be 
worth ascending for the view, but it is not open to the public 
On the summit (1,328 feet) are the remains of an ancienl 
stronghold. (The old tradition was that it owed its name 
to a cawr or giant called OthrwmJ. The hill rises on the 
right of the Llanfachreth road (along which we drive toj 
wards the Precipice Walk), and the ascent, if it were 
allowed, could be made from near a lodge about two milei 
from the town. Llanfachreth, a quaint village charmingli 
situated, is about four miles from Dolgelley ; and if the road 
to the right of Llanfachreth church is followed, past Cors-y 
garnedd, Rhobell Fawr (2,408 feet) can be approached 
[By turning to the right a mile on the Dolgelley side of 
Llanfachreth, half a mile would be saved in reaching Cora 
y-garnedd]. Two miles and a quarter from Llanfachreth 
at Bwlch Goriwaered, where another road joins on the left 
a mountain track on the right runs up a little way toward 
the summit, which can be reached in about forty minute 
from this point ; and to this point cars may be driven 
though the way is rough. Rhobell is not an interesting hil 
in itself, but is a good centre for seeing Snowdon, th 
Glyders, the Carnedd range, Siabod, Arenig, the Berwyns 
the Arans, Cader Idris, the Rhinog range, and other heights 
The Mawddach Estuary and a part of Bala Lake are also 
visible, but Y Dduallt, the ridge close by, obstructs our view 
in the latter direction. [Between two and three miles can 



Cymmer Abbey. DOLGELLEY. 85 

be saved by the pedestrian by taking train to Bont Newydd, 
and walking from there (about five miles) to the summit]. 

With the help of the ordnanoe map a way can easily be found 
from Bwlch Goriwaered to Ty'n-y-groes, and it is a fine walk.. A 
road will be seen on the map running along a deep valley by the 
side of a stream which falls into the Mawddach. Just before that 
river is reached, a turning to the right leads over the tributary 
stream, and then the road runs on the right of the Mawddach to 
the bridge opposite Ty'n-y-groes— a private bridge being first 
passed. The pedestrian bent upon a still longer walk could make 
his way from Rh obeli to Rhaiadr Mawddach and return by Ty'n- 
y-groes. 

To Cymmer Abbey, Ty'n-y-groes, and the 

Waterfalls. 

For this, one of the favourite excursions from Dolgelley, 
visitors generally drive to Ty'n-y-groes Inn, or still further 
to a point nearer Rhaiadr Mawddach. The bridge over the 
railway at Dolgelley is crossed, and then the Barmouth road 
is followed, to the left, as far as Llanelltyd. The ruins of 
the abbey mentioned in the story of Howel Sele — Cym- 
mer Abbey — lie amongst the Fanner farm buildings, 
near the banks of the Mawddach, a few hundred yards to 
the right of Llanelltyd bridge, before the bridge is crossed. 
Turn up by the farm road. The ruins are on the right 
when you reach the buildings, and the key is kept at the 
house. 

Cymmer, i.e., the Confluence (of the Wnion and the Mawddach), 
was " a Cistercian establishment, founded a.d. 1198, by Griffith 
and Meredydd, lords of Merioneth, and sons of Cynan, who was 
the son of Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales." The late Mr. 
W. W. £. Wynne of Feniarth remarked on " the great similarity 
existing between the architecture of Llanaber church, near Bar- 
mouth, and that of the early Irish ecclesiastical buildings, and 
conjectured that, as Osborn Fitzgerald emigrated to Wales at a 
period nearly corresponding with the date of these buildings, it 
was not improbable that the introduction of Irish peculiarities 
was due to his influence." The architecture of the east end of 
Cymmer is of about the same date as that of Llanaber. 

It is two miles from Dolgelley to the Abbey by the high- 
way, but about half the distance by a short cut across Hen- 
gwrt Park by the road which runs up the hill to the right 
aoon after we cross the bridge and turn left for Barmouth. 
You follow the road for ten minutes or so, and then turn 
left where there is a little gate by the side of a large one, and 
keep straight on. In a few minutes you pass a cottage (on 
your left), and still keep straight on through a gate, beyond 
which take the left fork (the right runs to Pentre farm), and 
keeping to the right of a wall, with Hengwrt not far off on 
the left, you soon reach the high road, near Llanelltyd 
bridge. [Here Pentrs farm could be speedily reached by 



86' DOLGELLEY. Waterfall*. 

turning to the right and soon to the right again, and at 
Pentre there is a circular camp, 150 feet in diameter, within 
which are traces of the ruins of Cymmer Castle]. 

We cross Llanelltyd bridge on our way to one of the 
prettiest spots in Wales, Ty'n-y-groes (5 miles), and having 
crossed it turn to the right up the lovely Ganllwyd Valley. 
Ty'n-y-ffroes is a delightful goal in itself, but is chiefly 
visited for the sake of the waterfalls. 

Before we mention them, let us say that there is a road to 
Dolgelley on the other side of the river, and that the Precipice 
Walk can be included by turning aside from this road. Cross the 
bridge in front of the inn, and turn to the right along the river 
side. After a while a brook is crossed by stepping stones, and then 
another brook by a bridge. A little beyond this, having crossed a 
small stream, turn up at once to another road, and cross it to a 
path which runs up the hill, to the right of a wall. Follow this to 
another wall, over which you go to the Precipice Walk. Then turn 
to the right, and follow directions already given (pages 82, 83). 
The distance is about the same as by the high road, but there is a 
stiff ascent. [For Dolgelley we should have kept along the road 
instead of turning up by the little stream]. 

And now for the Waterfalls, but two of them, as we say 
below, have lost their old beauty. Ten minutes along the 
Festiniog road from Ty'n-y-groes Inn a bridge over the little 
river Camlan is crossed ; turn at once to the left, follow the 
stream for seven or eight minutes, and you have Rha.ia.dr 
Dili in our opinion always the finest fall of the three, before 
you. This is much the prettier walk, but you cet a better 
view of the fall, perhaps, on the other side. For this, turn up 
before crossing the bridge, follow a broad path, turn to the 
right at each fork, and finally take a green road to the fall. 
Returning to the bridge where you turned aside to see 
Rhaiadr Du, you keep on alone the highway for five minutes, 
when it forks ; then turn to the right, cross a bridge, Pont- 
ar-Eden, keep straight on into the wood, and follow the 
road. Cars can be taken to the old powder factory of 
Tyddyn Gwladys, about ten minutes' walk from the falls, 
and for the most part the road can be cycled. Follow the 
road until you cross the River Cain, and, to the left, see 
Pistyll Cain. Then follow the road again, pass in front 
of the buildings erected some years ago by Mr. Pritchard 
Morgan's Gold Company, and beyond them reach Rhaiadr 
Mawddachj a fall which the mining works have marred. 
Indeed of late both falls have been altered so much in con- 
nection with the gold works that, save for the beauty of the 
walk, they are scarcely worth visiting. For the Gold Mines 
you pass the works again, and follow the tram road up to 
the mines, which, when they were first worked by Mr. Prit- 
chard Morgan, excited a good deal of attention in the country 4 



Bedd Partus, DOLGELLEY. 87 

Visitors, we believe, are sometimes allowed to view the works 
and the mines. [As to all the directions for this locality it 
should be noted that the works connected with the mines 
may alter them]. 

To vary the return Journey from the falls you can cross the 
bridge oyer the Mawddach lust above the mining works, and find 
a circuitous road on the other side back to Dolgelley; or, if you 
are driving to Festiniog, the car may be sent to meet you on the 
high road, which is reached over the hill from Pistyll Cain by 
turning up to the right immediately after crossing the bridge by 
the fall in going from the gold works. You pass to the right of 
a water-wheel, cross a tramway, and In a few steps turn to the 
right by a path which takes you through an opening in a wall, 
when you turn to the left, and make your way to a road. This 
road runs Into another, and you have to go to the right, and turn 
left by yet another road to reach the highway where the car is 
waiting. But precise directions should be obtained of the driver. 
Trawsfynydd (f mile from Trawsfynydd railway station) is eight 
miles from Ty'n-y-groes along this rather dreary highway; Maen- 
twrog station is eleven miles, Maentwrog village thirteen; and 
Festiniog about the same distance for the pedestrian, who should 
make his way from Trawsfynydd past Tomen-y-mur by the route 
described in our Festiniog section 

For the pedestrian fond of secluded walks among the hills an- 
other route may be described from Ty'n-y-groes past Rhaiadr Maw- 
ddach to Trawsfynydd, but the scenery for most of the way is not 
remarkable. [It should be noted, as above, that the works in con- 
nection with the gold mines may make some change in the route]. 
Pass the gold works, and keep on until the bridge over the 
Mawddach is reached, and there take a road up hill on the left, 
and follow it to a mining wheel. Here the road bends up to a 
wall, then runs along it, crosses the gold workings a little way 
above some buildings, and goes on to the slope of a hill in front, 
where a road runs right and left. Turn left and follow the road, 
which, after a while, crosses the little river Cain, turns to the 
right along it, and soon runs up the hill. In a few hundred yards 
a road branches out on the left. [Here a digression can be made 
to visit a famous stone. Immediately opposite the branch road 
a path crosses the field, bearing left to a stile, and runs on to a 
building visible in front. Arrived at the building, you see, a little 
way off, a great stone, the IdSeh Idris maen-hir, over ten feet high, 
called after Idris, who gives his name to Cader Idris. Another 
stone, which has excited great interest, is one called from the name 
on it Bedd Porius, Porius's Grave, about 300 yards to the east, 
in a neighbouring field. The inscription, which is entirely in 
capitals, and at least as old as the 6th century, is now made to 
read — "Porius hie in tumulo jacit. Homo planus fuit." whatever 
"planus" may mean. The word was formerly read "Planus," and 
some marks over the "P" were supposed to make in Into "XP," 
and the whole word into "Christianus." But now it appears that 
Porius was not (necessarily) "a Christian man," but only "a plain 
man," and he may, for all we know, have been an Agnostic! The form 
Porius is also used by Gild as in the compound Vortiporius; in later 
Welsh it Is Pyr, the name we have in Maenor Byr (now Manor- 
beer), Latinized by Giraldus "Mansio Pyrrhi," and Ynys Pyr or 
Byr. the old name of Caldy Island. The last line on the stone, 
" 1245 E," is a modern addition. If Bedd Porius is visited the 
pedestrian should follow the road near it, and it will lead him 



88 DOLGELLEY. Red- 

back to another point on the road he left to reach Lie 
We take up our route from the point at which we left i 
the maen-hir]. Soon an old Roman road joins the one 
travelling, and then we pass a lonely burial ground, ii 
in its desolation. Following our road, it leads us after a 1( 
into the highway from Dolgelley and Ty'n-y-groes, where 
to the right and ascend to Trawsfynydd (756 feet high), a 1 
lage with an hotel, which is six miles and a half from 
Mawddach, or a steady walk of something like two hoi 
half, for there is uphill work to take into account, and tl 
places is rough. From Trawsfynydd the journey back] 
gelley could be made by train, via Bala. 

To Tal-y-llyn and Dinas Mawdd 

In every direction Dolgelley abounds in beautiful] 
sions. Tal-y-llyn is eight miles and a half from Dolj' 
that is for those who walk, and like to save a mile 
the (rough) old road to the right soon after crossi 
Aran. [There is a shorter walk still (7£m.) by an old< 
starting by the* Aran river (left of it), and running 
lofty shoulder of Cader, and this some pedestrians, 
not afraid of climbing, will prefer. It rejoins the 
road near Llyn Bach, also known as Llyn-y-tri-grai 
The rough road which we have mentioned and the ci 
road meet at the Cross Foxes Inn (615 feet), where the 
ynlleth and Dinas roads join. We leave the inn 
former, which forks to the right, and for some distai 
scenery is wild and dreary. Then a narrow ravine 
seen, bounded on one side by the precipices of Gei 
(a shoulder of Cader), and on the left hand by Craig-y- 

It is asserted that in ancient times felons were cast do^ 
awful precipices of the rock, and that this explains its 
Cralg-y-llam, meaning the Rock of the Leap. Under these 
pices, and close to the road, a little over two miles from the , 
Foxes, lies a small lake about fifty feet deep, 862 feet above 
sea. It is sometimes called Llyn-y-tri-graienyn, which signifies! 
Lake of the Three Pebbles, and has derived its name from' 
three large fragments of rock that are seen near it, which trj 
tion asserts to have been what the great Idris called "pebbll 
Idris might well be called a giant if he served these pebblej 
tradition says he did; for we are told that when striding fl 
Cader Idris to Craig-y-llam he felt something in his shoe hurl 
him; so he pulled it off and shook out the three boulders, one 1 
which measures 24 feet long, 18 feet broad, and 12 feet high. "J 

Tal-y-llyn (which means " Lake End ") lies in the plea* 
sant little valley far below, and as you descend you see the 
peaceful lake in front; before you reach it you will pass 
Minffordd farm, and near a picturesque fall of the stream 
that comes down from Llyn-y-cau, under the topmost crags 
of Cader. A road either to the right of Tal-y-llyn, or the 
left (which is the driving road, and the nearest for Ty'n-y- 
Cornel), will take you to Tal-y-llyn hamlet. The lake, of 



BwU& Oerddrws. DOLGELLEY. 89 

which the old Welsh name was Llyn Mwyngil, is over a mile 
long, and a quarter of a mile wide. A pleasant round may 
be made by walking on to Abergynolwyn railway station, 
three miles, and there taking the train back to Dolgelley; 
or to Corris station (3£m.), and taking train via Machynlleth. 
[See page 33.]. 

The road to Dinas Mawddwy (branching off at the Cross 
Foxes) runs through Bwlch Oerddrws (Cold Door 
Pass). The distance, Dolgelley to Dinas, is ten miles, or 
nine by the old road already mentioned. The scenery is fine 
and the air bracing. Near the summit of the pass (1,178 
feet) the view towards Dolgelley and Barmouth is wonder- 
fully grand, and when the descent towards Dinas is taken the 
mountains shut in the view, but such mountains — especially 
the one before us to the right, resembling a crouching lion — 
are not to be seen every day. [For Dinas and Mallwyd see 
pages 24—27]. 

There are many other walks we ought to take before we leave 

Dolgelley. There Is the road on the left of the little river Aran 
leading us through a beautiful valley in which Pandy Mill lies, 
and by the " Aran route," as we shall show, Cader can be scaled. 
Another excursion is across the Green, the recreation ground by 
the river side, to the picturesque hamlet of Pandy 'r Odyn, and so 
to Penmaen-pool (2J miles), which is the nearest road to Bar- 
mouth, for a bridge spans the river, and the carriage way Joins 
the old road, nearly four miles from Dolgelley. Beyond Penmaen- 
pool the walk may be extended one mile and a half to the lovely 
Abergwynant Valley, or four miles and a quarter to Arthog; or a 
walk of one mile across Penmaen-pool bridge leads to the pretty 
Cwm Mynach Valley (see page 72), and two miles to Bont-ddu glen 
and waterfall. [Boats and steam launches run from Barmouth to 
Penmaen-pool in the summer time]. The railway ride to Drws-y- 
nant takes the mountaineer to the shortest ascent of Aran Faw- 
ddwy, and from that station several easier rambles on the wild 
hills which surround It might be enjoyed. Finally, not to men- 
tion more, there is the ascent of Cader Idris. 

Cader Idris. 

There are so many ways of ascending Cader idris that 
we hardly know which to choose. Let us take first the 
Bridle Path, for which ponies can be hired at the hotels, for 
eleven shillings each, including the conductor, often an 
active boy, who will make himself generally useful if there is 
a prospect of a small gratuity. [But let pedestrians look at 
oar description of the Aran route]. For the Bridle Path 
cross the bridge from the station, and, taking the right fork 
where the street divides, go to the top of the Square, turn 
to the right, and where the road divides take the left fork. 
Two miles along this old Towyn road you reach Llyn 
Oweman, where an inn will be found. In another ten 
minutes you pass a little wood, then cross a little bridge, walk 



90 DOLGELLEY. Coder Idrit. 

a field's length and come to another bridge (512 feet). Before 
crossing it turn to the left, and follow the lane (there is a 
house to your left) for a little way, until, where there is a 
gate a short distance in front, you cross a stream and then 
climb left, through a small plantation, taking care to follow 
the Bridle Path, though it seems to run too much to the right 
for the summit of Cader. After a while you come to a wail 
on the right ; follow it for some distance, cross to a shoulder 
of the mountain, and ascend to the table-land, where, at the 
" two stones" (1,842 feet), 4£ miles from Dolgelley, the routes 
fromBarmouth (west) and Towyn through Llanfihangel (south) 
are joined, and about half the climb from the road is accom- 

Elished. You bear left, but to the right of the rising ground 
efore you. [If you kept more to the left, the way would be 
very rugged, but you would see the columnar stones which 
cover the slope of Cyfrwy, the " Saddle " of Cader — to the 
number of millions according to one recent writer !]. The 
pony route runs on the Tal-y-llyn side of the Saddle, and 
presently you see the summit ; and if you are thirsty, before 
the final climb, a spring of water, close by the place where 
the ponies are put up, will refresh you. [Another spring 
may be found near the summit, by going a few yards from 
the cairn to a dilapidated building, and then turning to the 
left ; but it may be dry after much drought]. As you approach 
the top, if it is misty, take care of the precipices that frown 
above Llyn-y-Gader on your left. The distance from Dol- 
gelley to the cairn on Pen-y-ffader (2,927 feet) is a little 
over six miles. Time, 3 hours. 

What do we see? Northwards the Estuary, bordered by hills of 
many shapes and colours, and the well-wooded valley of the Wnlon 
further to the right, on the south the vale of the Dysynnl, with 
the river meandering past the Bird Rock to the sea, add an in- 
describable charm to the picture. Across the Estuary the long 
Llawllech ridge stretches from Barmouth up to Diphwys, and 
then, turning northwards, Is continued in the range which reaches 
almost to Festinlog, with Rhlnog Fawr as its most prominent 
point; to the right of Diphwys, Y Garn sends out a spur which 
ends In wooded Moel Ispri, and further to the right are Moel 
Cynwch and Cynwch Lake. Between Moel Isprl and Moel Cynwch 
round which runs the Precipice Walk, we have a dellentful 
glimpse up the Ganllwyd Valley, and to the right of Moel Cynwch 
Is Moel Offrwm, with Rhobell Fawr beyond it. By walking a few 
steps southwards, Llyn-y-cau is seen close below, In a semi-circle 
of lofty rocks, corresponding to Llyn-y-Gader on the north, at the 
bottom of the Foxes' Path. Of these lakes, which are some of the 
finest in Wales, tradition says that if you throw your stick into 
one you will find It in the other next morning. To the west, a treat 
expanse of sea is included in the view, and a long line of coast ex- 
tending from Pembrokeshire to Bardsey Isle? then carrylnir the 
eye to the right from Bardsey, the long ridge of the Rhiw Mountain 
Carn Madryn and Carn Boduan on the promontory of Carnarvon-' 
shire are seen St Tudwal's Isles, and the yellow coast near Pwll- 
heli, the Rivals. Moel Hebog (looking a little to the right of the 



Voxef PdkK DOLGELLEY* 01 

summit of Diphwys), Snowdon (straight across Llyn-y-Gader), the 
Glyders, Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn, Moel Siabod (a 
little to the right of Llyn Gwernan), with Pen-lIithrig-y-Wrach 
close to It (both near Capel Curig), the rounded Manod Mawr, the 
Arenigs, tower-marked Moel Fammau (looking straight along Bala 
lake), the Arans, the Berwyn. range, the three-peaked Breldden 
marked by Its pillar (looking a little to the right of Mynydd Moel, 
the next peak of Cader), the Wrekln in the extreme distance, the 
Long Mountain, near Welshpool, the Stiperstones (distinguished 
by their little rocky humps), Plynlimmon (looking over Llyn-y- 
can), and much further away other heights In South Wales. 

To see Llyn-y-Gader to perfection we should return by the 
Foxes' Path, a very steep descent over the screes. From 
the great cairn on the summit start (facing the Dolgelley 
side) to the right, and follow a path which bears to the lef t 
down a slope covered with boulders to a little cairn (in about 
five minutes from the summit), which marks the beginning of 
the route down the steep mountain-side. Be careful to follow 
directions here, or you may get into difficulties. From the 
little cairn a path runs down to the right to a yellow streak, 
passing near a delicious spring of water, marked by a mass 
of greenery. Tou keep down the steep yellow streak, and 
very steep it is, to Liyn-y-Gader. Llyn-y-Gader is ex- 
ceedingly impressive, lying under the precipices of Cader, 
and there is a good echo. A little way beyond the lake the 
path bears to the right, down to Llyn Gafr (where the botan- 
ist may find some rare ferns), then crosses two streams, 
follows the last for a little way, and presently passes through 
a gate and then to the left of some rocks, after which 
it bends slightly to the right and reaches the elbow of 
a wall. To the right of the wall it keeps until the wall 
slopes to the left, and then keeps straight on, passes through 
a gate at a sheep-fold, and runs down the side of a little 
ravine for a short distance, when it bends to the right, but 
soon to the left down hill, and ascends again, crossing a 
little hill. Follow the path until the inn on Llyn Gwernan 
is seen, and then descend to the road and turn to the right 
for Dolgelley. 

But we must also give the ascent by the Foxes' Path. Opposite 
the inn (573 feet) on Llyn Owernan (see p. 89) a path runs up the 
hill, soon turns to the right, running to the left of a wall, and 
before long turns to the left, crosses a little hill, and goes through 
a gate. Then (avoiding a path to the right) ascend again, and, 
bearing to the right, reach a little ravine, keep by the side of it, 
pass through a gate at a sheepfold and soon reach a wall. The 
path runs For some distance to the left of the wall ; presently the 
wall bends to the right from the path, which is here rather in- 
distinct. But keep on the right of the rocks in front, and soon 
reach another wall, where, after passing through a gate, a stream . 
has soon to be crossed, and then there is a well marked path 
(crossing another stream) to Llyn Gafr. From here we climb ur 
the steep slope to Llyn-y-Gader (1,827 feet), and then the way id 



te DOtiGELLEY. Aran Routt. 

vlaln up a s--l steeper stony slope to the ridge (2,765 feet). Some 
climbers will preler the bed of the little stream which comes 
down among the screes as the easiest course for a great part of 
the way. Time from Llyn-y-Gader to the ridge, three quarters of 
an hour; from Dolgelley, about three hours. 

For those who dislike the arduous ascent of the Foxes' 
Path what we will call the Aran Route may be commended. 
It is pleasanter than, the Bridle Path, shorter, and less 
fatiguing to anyone accustomed to mountains, who does not 
care forbeaten ways. The ascent begins at once, and a walk 
Of nearly three miles along a dusty road is saved ; but, on 
the other hand, there is no regular track when the mountain 
is reached, and this ascent should certainly be avoided in 
misty weather. 

Crossing the bridge from the station, keep straight on until 
you turn left, across the Aran stream; then follow a road to the 
left of it, soon passing through a beautiful wooded valley. In 
ten or twelve minutes, immediately before reaching a house 
(Plas-yn-brithdir), cross a streamlet, and bear to the right. Avoid 
turns to the right, keep on the left of the little Aran stream, and 
about a mile from Plas-yn-brithdir reach Bwlch Coch farm (on 
your left). A few yards further, immediately beyond a barn, the 
old Tal-y-llyn road runs to the left, and your road to the right. 
It soon becomes a footpath, and after crossing a little stream 
runs up to the left and through an opening in a wall, where you 
turn to the left, soon see a gate, and passing through it, continue 
uphill, and soon ascend a broad green track to the left of a little 
building. Bear to the right, and, after a while passing what looks 
like an old quarry, strike the ridge (about 2,100 feet) some distance 
to the right of the summit of Oeugraig. Then keep along the little 
ridge which comes out from Mynydd Moel, and so reach the sum- 
mit (2,804 feet), passing the square-shaped little Llyn Aran (in which 
the stream rises) below on the right. Mynydd Moel is a grand bit of 
Cader, and we look into the Square at Dolgelley and have a de- 
lightful view of the valley. We bear to the left for a glimpse of 
Tal-y-llyn and Llyn-y-cau, which looks very fine in its rocky hol- 
low, and then right for the rocky sides of the elevated plateau 
on which we are walking. Llyn Gafr comes in sight, and then 
Llyn-y-Gader, and soon we reach Pen-y-Gader. 

Descents. 

If we are lazy we can ride right across the mountain to Tal-y- 
llyn, or, if we like, we may scramble from the summit, carefully, 
down to Llyn-y-cau, a lake as finely placed as Llyn-y-Gader. 
Descend for a few minutes down the bridle path until you can 
make your way to the left without going too much amongst the 
boulders, and keep on, bearing rather left, to the edge overlook- 
ing Llyn-y-cau. Steep precipices run down to it, but you will 
find a grassy hollow, wnere you can descend. Pass to the right 
of the lake, and the stream will be your guide to the road, where 
you turn left for Dolgelley, and right for Tal-y-llyn, or, if you 
are bound for Corris station, in five minutes you turn left from 
the Tal-y-llyn road. [See page 34]. There are other routes which the 
adventurous mountaineer may discover for himself; the inexperi- 
enced will do better to avoid abrupt descents like that of Llyn-y- 
cau, and to keep to more frequented ways. Another ascent from 
Tal-yUyn is described on page 59. To descend by this route, start 



SamBadrig. TO LLANBEDR. 93 

for Llyn-y-cau, but avoid the descent by the grassy hollow. Keep 
along near the edge for a while, then bear a little to the right and 
down a long grassy slope. Then you bear to the left, reach a farm 
(Khiw 'r Ogo') and follow the route, described in the ascent, to the 
highway and Tal-y-llyn. 

. The descent to Barmouth (for ascent see page 74) follows the 
Dolgelley bridle path for about a mile and a half, until it turns to 
the right to descend the mountain-side. Instead of descending 
we keep on along the high table-land towards Tyrau Mawr, the 
next summit on the long ridge, and either ascend it for the view 
(p. 74), or cross the left slope of it, keep along the col for a little way, 
and then begin to descend to the right, but bear a good deal to 
the left in our descent at first to avoid a steep declivity. Making 
for a plantation, we there find a roadway running into the high 
road opposite a house which we see below; when we reach the 
road we turn to the left, and, soon after crossing a stream, to the 
right by the way described in the ascent. 

The path for Towyn runs to the left near the point mentioned 
in the last paragraph, where the Dolgelley bridle path turns to 
the right. The way, which starts to the right of a wall, will easily 
be found by referring to page 58. 

A longer descent, which may be used by those who wish to reach 
Dinas Mawddwy, is to keep along the mountain east and north- 
east from the summit to the Cross Foxes, a good five miles from 
the cairn. The high road will be seen when Oeugraig is reached. 

Barmouth to Llanbedr. 

But we must now resume our journey by the coast at Bar- 
mouth, and connect Barmouth with Llanbedr. In travelling 
by rail towards Llanbedr and Harlech we look out over the 
sea on our left to the Rivals, a group of notable peaks ; and 
on our right is the range of hills including Llawllech, Di- 
phwys, the flat-topped Llethr, Rhinog Fach, Rhinog Fawr 
(2,362 feet), the finest summit of the range, Craig Ddrwg, 
and others, ending in another Diphwys, not far south of 
Maentwrog; but we see little of these mountains from this 
side. In front of the range stands the rounded mass of 
Moelfre, behind Dyffryn. 

In a few minutes our train passes under Llanaber Church, 
and we run near the shore until we reach Dyffryn, catching 
a glimpse, on our way, of Llanddwywe Church in front of 
the Cors-y-gedol woods. As the train starts from Dyffryn, 
the peak of Snowdon can be seen ahead on the right, and 
just here Sara Badrig (St. Patrick's Causeway) stretches out 
to sea for over twenty miles, of which about nine are left dry 
at ebb tide. 

It is now known to be a natural formation, though, of course, it 
has been Imagined by Welsh antiquaries to be one of the fabled 
'embankments" of the mythical Cantref-y-gwaelod (see page 43). 
However, like St. Cynfelyn's smaller "Sarn" further south, and 
also the long ledge of rocks called the Smalls, S.W. of St. David s, 
which was "said to be the highway between Milford and Ireland,' 
and the Helwick sands, by the Worm's Head, which Mr. Cliffe 
heard called "the Old High Boad to Bristol," this great reef must. 



94 LLANBEDR. Cromlech. 

from its name, have been associated with legends now lost. Prob- 
ably St. Patrick (who is recorded to have spent some time in Car- 
diganshire, and visited Pembrokeshire) was thought to have set 
out along this specimen of Nature's roadmaking, when he left 
Wales lor Ireland. Welsh legend, by the way, has something to 
say of the submergence of a somewhat larger tract than Cardigan 
Bay. 'In the Mabinogi of Branwen (see under Harlech) Wales and 
Ireland are said to have been only separated by two rivers, "since 
when," the author goes on to say, "the sea has multiplied its 
realms "—a passage seriously mistranslated by Lady Charlotte 
Guest; It is to the same legend, localized oil this coast, that a 
Welsh poet of about 1200 finely refers when he speaks of this very 
district of Ardudwy as "the province of the deeps of Din Milwy, 
the dwelling of gulls," this "fort of Milwy" being apparently one 
of the cities under the waves. 

We soon pull up at Llaribedr and Pen-sam station, and if 
we get off here we can take up our abode at Llanbedr, nearly 
a mile away, and enjoy a quiet week that will not be un- 
profitable. 

tmrlecb an& Xlanbebr. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

[For distances by rail refer to Barmouth]. 

From Llanbedr Village by Road .— Mochras shore, for shells, 
2 m., Harlech, 3 miles, Llyn Cwm Bychan, 5J (Cambrian 
conveyances to Cwm Bychan and— for four or more— to Maes- 
y-garnedd), Bwlch Tyddiad (by the Roman Steps), 7$, Drws 
Ardudwy, 8, the round by Bwlch Tyddiad and back to Llan- 
bedr, 17J, Ty'n-y-groes, through Drws Ardudwy, 15, Traws- 
fynydd station, through Bwlch Tyddiad, 14), ascent of Rhi- 
nqg Fawr, 2£ hours. 

From Harlech by Road.— Moel Senigl, 2 miles, Llyn Cwm 
Bychan, 5, Bwlch Tyddiad, 7, Drws Ardudwy, 9, Llyn Ei- 
ddew Mawr, about 6, Trawsfynydd, by old road, 10, Maen- 
twrog, by old road, 10. Walk from Tal-sarnau to Tan-y- 
bwlch (7 miles) recommended. 

WE couple Harlech and Llanbedr because they are near 
one another and the chief attractions of the one can 
almost as easily be seen from the other. Cwm Bychan, for 
example, which is 6£ miles from Llanbedr, is about the same 
distance from Harlech. 

Besides the inn at Llanbedr, there are comfortable 
private lodgings, not only in the village, but at Llanfair, on 
the Harlech side of the railway station, and nearer the 
shore. But before we leave the station let us mention two 
remnants of past days, one a ruined church — recently roofed 
in by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Monu- 
ments— Llcmdcmwg, on the shore, less than a mile from the 
station ; the other a Cromlech. Leaving the station, for the 
cromlech turn left and immediately take a mountain road 
on the right, and follow it for nearly half a mile ; when it 
forks at a gate take the left branch (leading to Gwern Einioa 



Cwm Bychan. LLANBEDR. 66 

farm), and at a second gate make a steep ascent, until a 
stream is reached, where the road forks again, and the right 
branch following the stream is taken. At another gate walk 
up some stone steps, follow a path (leading to a cottage) for 
a few yards, walk round the gable end of a building on the 
right, and there is the cromlech — turned into a pig-sty! 
The distance from the station to the cromlech is not much 
oyer a mile, and Llanbedr can be reached, in returning, by 
turning to the left at the first gate mentioned above. The 
road from Pen-sarn station runs to the right for Llanbedr 
(f m.) and passes some ancient remains, two pillar stones 
erect, and one recumbent incised stone, in a field on the right. 
Llanbedr is a pleasant village, and anglers resort there to 
fish in the beautiful little river Artro, and other waters in 
the neighbourhood. Tourists by the hundred pay the place 
a visit of a single day, for the purpose of exploring Cwm 
Bychan (5£ m. from Llanbedr). 

Mochras shore, with its pretty shells [some of which occasionally 
disappear] Is reached from Pen-sarn In two miles. Cross the river 
by the railway bridge, immediately cross a stile and take a path 
on an embankment, passing the station again. In about a mile 
the embankment bends to the left, and here, if the tide Is low, 
you can cross the sands, but do not keep much to the right of a 
house in front, or the water will stop you. After crossing the 
sands keep to the right and soon cross a field to the shore; where 
the view of the mountains across the water, with Snowdon in the 
background, Is exceedingly beautiful. At high water it will pro- 
bably take you nearly an hour to reach the station. [A list of the 
shells, and of the wild birds seen on this coast, is published at 
Barmouth; a list of the former is given also in an introductory 
chapter to the Traveller's Edition of this Guide]. 

Cwm Bychan, The Roman Steps, and 

Drws Ardudwy. 

To reach Cwm Bychan (unless we go by the Cambrian 
Railway conveyance) the easiest way is to take a car at the 
station or the Victoria Hotel, and drive up the road on the 
left of the river as far as a farm called Dolwreiddiog, nearly 
five miles up hill, through a beautiful wooded dingle, in 
which the dashing little Artro flows near us. After a 
while the Artro is joined by the Nantcol (which near h6re 
falls picturesquely over the rocks in the wood), where a road 
runs over the former towards the pass of Drws Ardudwy ; 
but we keep to the left of the Artro, whose course is from 
Cwm Bychan, and not as marked on the old ordnance map. 
As we proceed Craig Ddrwg rises boldly in front. At Dol- 
wreiddiog the car must be left ; and the driver is sometimes 
told to take it round to Maes-y-garnedd, a memorable house 
near the pass of Drws Ardudwy, through which we purpose 
leading the reader. After we part company with the car 



96 LLANBEDR. Soman Step*. 

at Dolwreiddiog we still keep to the road and bend to the 
right when it forks, until we arrive in about half a mile at 
a spot where there is a pretty little waterfall on the left. 
From this point the mountains over and around the (yet un- 
seen) lake are impressive. A short distance further we 
reach Llyn Cwm Bychan (527 feet), by a rough road 
among the boulders. We then walk the whole length of the 
lake, and as we go along, if we want to hear a fine echo, we 
have only to turn our faces to the rock, called Craig-y-saeth 
(Rock of the Arrow), on the other side of the water, and 
shout lustily. For the Roman Steps we follow the 
road beyond the lake to a cottage, pass it, and then turn to 
the right, and keep straight on, with a wood a little distance 
to the left, and cross a stream by a plank. For the greater 
part of the way we keep alongside the stream, sometimes on 
steps, and sometimes on path, the mountain defile narrowing 
all the while, until we reach BwlCh Tyddiad (1,294 
feet), where we are 7& miles from Llanbedr. The steps, 
which are in parts remarkably well preserved, are supposed 
by Borne to have a Roman, by others a British, origin. In 
any case, it is likely that the Roman legions passed along 
them on their way to the coast. Many visitors will return 
to Cwm Bychan, but others will prefer to make for Drws 
Ardudwy. 

After passing through Bwlch Tyddiad, the pathway begins to 
descend, and a fresh scene Is opened out to our view. Immedi- 
ately before us we see Arenig, and to our right Is Rhinog Fawr, 
one of the guards of the wild pass behind us. We can see from 
our elevation that a pathway is directed towards a solitary house 
below us. We follow the path for a little while, perhaps half-way 
to the house, or It may be less, until we can bear to the right 
without much climbing, and keep on the mountain slopes, bearing 
a little upwards, until we see Drws Ardudwy, the pass between 
Rhinog Fawr, the mountain on which we are walking, and its 
rival, Rhinog Fach. [Some travellers, not waiting until they see 
the pass, find themselves on the summit of Rhinog Fawr!]. We 
shall strike a well-defined pathway which runs through Drws 
Ardudwy (1,255 feet), the " Door of Ardudwy,"— compare such a 
name as that of Mickledoro between Scawfell and Scawfell Pike, in 
Cumberland, and the Port de VSnasque in the Pyrenees— and at the 
Drws we are about eight miles from Llanbedr. [Here the moun- 
taineer might climb Rhinog Fach (2,333 feet), by the left shoulder, 
and make his way to Barmouth over the hills. See page 71]. 
Pennant visited Drws Ardudwy and "found the horror of it far 
exceeding the most gloomy idea that could be conceived of It!" 
He says— "The sides seemed to have been rent by some mighty con- 
vulsion into a thousand precipices, forming at their tops rows of 
shelves, which the peasants, comparing to the ranges of a dove-cot 
style Carreg y Clommenod, or the rock of the pigeons." When 
W P SfAP 1 !* of , the & a ! s Maes-y-garnedd appears in view on the left. 
The kitchen is old-fashioned, and has the look of one that has 
seen better days, and it was at Maes-y-garnedd that "Colonel 
Jones, the Regicide, as he is called, a brother-in-law of Crom- 



Ukuvog Fawr. LLANfeEDU. afr 

well's, was born. From Maes-y-garnedd a carriage road runs down 
Cwm Nantcol and on to Llanbedr. [About a mile past Maes-y- 
garnedd the road for Dyffryn branches to the left, and runs south- 
west to the station]. It is a winding road to Llanbedr, twice 
crossing the Nantcol, and at length joining the Cwm Bychan road, 
close to the confluence of the Nantcol and the Artro. The total 
length of the round we have taken is over seventeen miles from 
Llanbedr village, but if the car that carried the visitors to Dol- 
wreiddiog meets them again at Maes-y-garnedd their walk will 
be about half-a-dozen. The tradition of the Men of Ardudwy is 
told in our Festiniog section. 

Hardy pedestrians sometimes walk to Festiniog or Dolgelley 
through these passes. From Llanbedr it is about 15 miles through 
Drws Ardudwy to Ty'n-y-groes, and 20 to Dolgelley. Through 
Bwlch Tyddiad it is about 14* to Trawsfynydd station, where the 
train can be taken to save the five miles on to Festiniog. [For the 
walking way past Tomen-y-mur to Festiniog, see p. 120, 121, where 
it is described in the reverse direction]. 

Ascent of Rhinos: Fawr, 

The best way for sojourners at Llanbedr, or at Harlech, 
to reach Rhinos' Fawr (2,362 feet) is to take a turning 
to the right over a bridge, about two miles on the Cwm 
Bychan road, from Llanbedr. We pass over Mynydd Llan- 
bedr along a mountain track which crosses to the right of 
Foel Ddu, and see Rhinog in front of us. Arrived at the 
cairn, Snowdon is prominent left of north, and carrying our 
eye to the right we see the Glyders, over a shoulder of 
which peeps Tryfan; the Carnedd Llewelyn range; Moel 
Siabod, with Moelwyn nearer, and Blaenau Festiniog almost 
at the foot of it; Festiniog village, with its conspicuous 
church looking down on the vale, and Manod Mawr behind 
it; Trawsfynydd in the valley below, and towered Moel 
Fammau in the far distance to the right of it; Arenig, 
nearer, and to the right of it the line of the Berwyns, the 
Arans, Cader; the coast line far down into South Wales; 
Bardsey and St. Tudwal's Isles ; Pwllheli, with Cam Madryn 
a little to the left of it; Yr Eifl, Criccieth Castle, Port- 
madoc, with Moel-y-g&st rising above it, and Moel Hebog. 
Just below us on one side is a corner of Llyn Cwm Bychan, 
and on the other Rhinog Fach. 

Before we leave Llanbedr let us mention the neighbouring 
streams and lakes, in many of which fishermen seek for sport: — 
The Artro, the Nantcol, Gloywlyn, far up on Rhinog Fawr, Llyn 
Du, about a mile south-east of Gloywlyn (there Is another Llyn 
Bu north of Cwm Bychan) ; Llyn Cwm Bychan ; Llyn Pryfyd (1,200 
feet or so above the sea), two miles north-east of Cwm Bychan; 
Llyn Eiddew Bach, Eiddew Mawr, and Caerwych, north of Cwm 
Bychan ; Llyn Perfeddau, reached by turning to the right at the 
entrance to Drws Ardudwy, near Maes-y-garnedd, and walking 
up the hills for a couple of miles; Llyn Howel, near Perfeddau j 
and Llyn-y-bi, over the ridge between Rhinog Fach and Llethr. 



HARLECH. fKe CastU 

Llanbedr to Harlech. 

The walk from Llanbedr to Harlech is three miles, and 
about half way, at Llanfair, there is a choice of roads. In 
going to Harlech we should take the lower, but the upper 
in reversing the journey. As we approach Harlech the 
scene is one which no one who has looked upon it on a clear 
day can ever forget. The lovely expanse of Cardigan Bay 
lies before us, with the lower lands of Pembrokeshire to the 
south, looking like islands in the sea. To the north, the 
ruined castle of Criccieth stands on the Carnarvonshire 
shore, and beyond Criccieth we can see Pwllheli. Imme- 
diately in front of us is the beautiful old ruin of Harlech 
Castle ; and as we advance, spread out before us is Har- 
lech Marsh, extending to Traeth Bach, which lies between 
us and Portmadoc. From Portmadoc we can trace the 
course of the river Glaslyn, from its mouth in Traeth Mawr, 
almost to Pont Aberglaslyn near Beddgelert, above which 
Moel Hebog rears its massive head. To the right of Moel 
Hebog towers the highest peak of Snowdon, with the sugar- 
loaf shaped Cnicht and Moelwyn nearer on the right hand. 

If we arrive by train at Harlech, we have a stiff climb 
of about 200 feet to the Castle and the little town, which 
is nominally the county town, but the county business is 
transacted elsewhere. Harlech, which is supplied with 
hotels and lodging houses, is about a mile from the sea. The 
shore is not attractive, but is remarkable for its sand dunes. 
It is the unsurpassed beauty of the views from Harlech 
Castle and the neighbouring heights that draws visitors to 
Harlech ; and most golfers know of the famous Golf Links ; 
which are between the railway and the sea. About a mile 
away are the interesting ancient remains, Muriau Gwyddelod 
(the Irishmen's Walls). At the south end of the town turn 
up past the schools, take the first gate on the left, a short 
wall: from the schools, and make for some farm buildings, 
and then Muriau Gwyddelod is about 300 yards away, on the 
left of a track which runs on from the buildings. 

Twr Bronwen is supposed by some to have been the budding of 
Harlech Castle; Bronwen, which means "fair-bosomed," being the 
modern Welsh corruption of Branwen. She is also perhaps 
commemorated in Cader Fronwen. It is told in the Mabinogion 
how Bran Fendigaid (the Blessed) was sitting upon the rock at 
Harlech, when Matholwch, King of Ireland, came wooing his 
sister Branwen, and married her. In Ireland trouble arose, and 
Bran sailed there to help, and in the end only seven of his 
followers escaped, and he himself was wounded with a poisoned 
dart. Then he commanded his followers to cut off his head and 
bear It even to the White Mount «.«., the Tower Hill), in London, 
and bury it there with the face towards France, and "in Harlech," 
he said, you will be feasting seven years, and the birds of Rhi- 



Cwm Bychan. HARLECH. 99 

annon singing unto 70a the while, and all that time the head will 
be to you as pleasant company as ever it was when on my body." 80 
they started forth, and Branwen was the eighth, but at Aber Alaw 
(in Anglesey, opposite Holyhead) her heart broke, and they buried 
her by the Alaw, where her "four-square crave" (a kistvaen) is 
still pointed out by tradition. Presently tnev came to Harlech, 
and three birds began singing unto them, and all the songs they 
had ever heard were unpleasant compared therewith. Thence they 
went to the solitary isle of Orasholm (in Welsh called Gwales or 
Owalas), off the coast of Pembrokeshire, where they spent eighty 
years in a state of blissful forge tfulness of all their troubles. 
Finally, following Bran's command, they carry his head to Lon- 
don, and bury it in the White Mount as a charm against foreign 
invasion, but Arthur, it is said, disinterred it because he chose not 
to hold the island save by his own strength. There are shadowy 
traditions about early strongholds at Harlech in the sixth and 
tenth centuries. The present ruins are those of a castle built by 
Edward I., probably from designs by Henry de Elreton, and on 
the foundations of an older building. The Castle, fine and pic- 
turesque as it is, is now little more than a shell. The Bronwen 
Tower Is the one on the sea side, to the left, as we enter the open 
space, the "inner ward," from the great gateway. Opposite to 
the entrance, on the other side of the inner ward, was the hall, 
with the domestic buildings, the chapel being to the north of 
them. The history we must give very briefly. In 1404 Owen Glen- 
dower managed to get possession of the fortress, and he subse- 
quently held a Parliament at Harlech. Passing on to the time of 
Edward IV., we find the Earl of Pembroke and his brother, Sir 
Bichard Herbert, laying siege to the fortress, and according to a 
bard of that age there was very bloody work, for he recounts the 
slaughter in figures that would make a Colenso dubious Indeed, 
slaying 6,000 men at the entrance gates. A long blockade ensued, 
ending in the surrender of the fortress in 1468. This was the 
siege, oy the way, that is said to have produced the finest melody 
of Wales, the "March of the Men of Harlech." Harlech again 

{tiayed Its part in the Cromwellian wars, being the last fortress 
n North Wales that held out for the King, and this was due to 
the sturdy constable, Colonel William Owen. The ruins of the 
Castle are extensive, and In the courtyard monster concerts have 
been held In the present age. There is a walk along the walls of the 
building, with a magnificent outlook to Bnowdon and its com- 
panion mountains, and one of the finest sea views in Wales. Snow- 
don is almost north, and to the left of It are, first the mass of Moel 
Hebog, and further off the peaks which English people call the 
Rivals (Yr Elfl), on the shore. To the right of Snowdon are the 
Glyders, the peaked Cnloht, and the Moelwyns. On the coast, 
across Tremadoc Bay, the scanty ruins of Crlccieth Castle may 
be seen. The view of the Lleyn peninsula from here has been com- 
pared to that from Athens looking towards Epidaurus. 

To Cwm Bychan. 

Pedestrians would do well to take the walk from Harlech 
to Cwm Bychan. The start is up the road past the post- 
office, for one mile, when, at the cross roads, you turn to the 
left, and you come, in another three quarters of a mile, to 
an upright stone on your right, a few yards past which you 
must leave the road through a gate to your right, and note 
that your way runs east and loads direct to the mountains, 



100 HARLECH. Mod Senigl 

which you see spread out before you. After some time you 
come to a barn, to the right of which you pass through a 
gate and on to a rough footpath amongst the stones — still 
in the direction of the mountains. Soon you see, over 
Craig-y-saeth, the higher front of Rhinog Fawr, at the 
lower end of which you may note (by carrying your eye over 
the nearer hill) the gap that forms Bwlch Drws Ardudwy, 
with Rhinog Fach to the right of it. Your path now des- 
cends, and you shortly arrive at Gerddi Bluog, once the 
residence of Archdeacon Prys, who translated the Psalms 
into Welsh metre. Leaving the house to the left you pass 
the gable-end of a barn, and from this point, bearing left, 
you soon come to Doltoreiddiog farm, on the road to the 
lake. Take the road to the left, turn to the right when it 
forks, and you reach Llyn Cwm Bychan, 1£ hour from 
Harlech. [See page 95]. 

The old road to Trawsfynydd (from which we diverged, on 
our way to Cwm Bychan, at the upright stone) should be 
followed, at any rate for the first few miles of its course, by 
every visitor to this district. Just beyond the stone, on the 
left, rises Moel Sen 1^1 (1,019 feet), called Moel-y-senicl 
and Moel-y-sensigl on the ordnance maps, a low hill (two 
miles from Harlech), quickly ascended, from which the view 
over Traeth Bach on one side, to the Snowdonian mountains, 
and over Cwm Bychan on the other, to the Rhinog range, 
is certainly one of the loveliest in Wales. Pedestrians, by 
crossing this hill, can find a path on the other side to take 
them back to Harlech, with a grand outlook all the way. 

A walk from Tal-sarnau to Tan-y-bwlch may be strongly 
recommended. Taking train to Tal-samau, we pass through 
the village and straight up the lane which ascends the hills, 
bearing left, and leads us in less than two miles to Llyn 
Tecwyn leaf. There is a lovely view from the road, of the 
valley on the left, and of Moel Hebog, the great mass of 
Snowdon, the Glyders, Cnicht, Moelwyn, and Manod Mawr. 
Before reaching the lake we join the old Maentwrog road, 
which runs past Llandecwyn Church, visible in front of us, 
and when we reach the church it is worth while going into 
the churchyard for the exquisite view. The road runs on to 
Llyn Tecwyn UcKaf (508 feet), finely placed among the hills. 
The lake supplies Portmadoc with water. Passing along it, 
we descend by a road among the trees to the Maentwrog 
road and turn to the right, crossing the bridge over the 
Fdenryd stream which makes the well-known waterfalls (see 
p. 115). At Maentwrog we turn to the left, and so to Tan-y- 
bwlch railway station, having walked about seven miles; 
time* three hours. In. our opinion, there are * ew finer V.*U» 



To Portmadoc HAllLECH. 101 

than this, with the view of sea and mountains, heather and 
gorse and bare mountain side, lakes and wooded valleys. 

For another walk (back to Harlech) we turn right at the end of 
Llyn Tecteyn leaf, admiring in the season the abundant water 

, lilies which fringe its shores, and our course lies along a lane that 
winds up the hill. Beyond a farm rather larger than others we ' 

" have passed, we take a held track (right) round the hill-side, after 
a while turn left, and before long pass between two low hills 
(right) to Llyn Caerwych, Ik hour's good walking from the sta- 
tion. From a little eminence by the lake-side we shall see Llyn 
Eiddew Mawr, about a mile away (S.E.), and, going to it, cross 
the Trawsfynydd roadway, and pass Llyn Bidden Bach and the re- 
mains of a large enclosure made with stones. Llyn Bidden Mawr 
is a fine sheet of water lying at the base of Craig Ddrwg. On the 
hills above it lie other lakes, some of them known to fishermen, 
Llyn Dywarchen, Llyn Du, Llyn Pryfyd, and others; and turn- 
ing our back on the hill, and bearing rather left, in a mile and a 
half we reach Uyn-y-fedw (1,064 feet). Beyond it is a little hill, 
Moel Ooedoff (1,211 feet), with plain traces of " a double-walled, cir- 
cular British camp," and crossing it to the west side, we come to 
the remains of stone circles and get into the Trawsfynydd road 
near its junction with the old Maentwrog road (which we left at 
Tecwyn Isaf) — a spot known by the remarkable name of Y Fonllef 
Hlr, " The long, loud cry." Another mile takes us to Moel Senigl, 
and two miles more to Harlech, where we finish a fine walk. A 
good map should be carried. The distance from Harlech to Traws- 
fynydd along the old road is about 10 m. ; and to Maentwrog about 
the same. 

Harlech to Portmadoc. 

Beaching Harlech station again, we can enjoy such a 
mountain view as few railway stations afford — from the 
Rivals, which we see across Tremadoc Bay, to Snowdon, 
the Glyders, and the nearer Moelwyns ; and if we keep a 
good look out we shall he rewarded at intervals all along 
this hit of railway with inland scenery of singular pictur- 
esqueness, culminating in the fine panorama which opens 
out as the train runs over the embankment to Portmadoc. 

On our way to Portmadoc we come upon the scene of some very 
extraordinary occurrences in 1684. Edward Llwyd, one of Cam- 
den's editors, says the " Rector of D61 Gelheu and all others of 
the country suppose that all this has been done by witchcraft." 
The Rector of Dolgelley referred to, the Rev. Maurice Jones, wrote 
an account for the Philosophical Transactions ; and Gibson comments 
on it as follows:— "The Grass, or Air, or both, are so infected with 
it that there has been all this while a great mortality of Cattle, 
Horses, Sheep, Goats, &c, and I pray God grant men may escape it. 
For a long time they could not trace this Fire any further than from 
the adjoining sea-shores; but of late those that have watch'd it 
: (as some have done continually) discovered that it crosses a part 
j of the Sea, from a place called Morfa Byehan in Caernarvonshire, 

distance from Harlech about eight or nine miles, which is des- 
cribed to be a bay both sandy and marshy. [Morfa Byehan is on 
the north side of the mouth of the united Traeths, which are 
i mentioned further on]. They add that any great noise, such as 

the sounding of Horns, the discharging of Guns, does repel or 
extinguish it; by means of which 'tis supposed they have saved 



102 HARLECH TO PORTMADOC. Traeth*. 

several Kicks of Hay and Corn, for it scarce fires anything else.*' 
These fires (or something like them) have been observed in recent 
years. About 1868 there was a little collection of them hovering 
over the low ground between Borth and the Dovey, and in 1875 
lights in the shape of "sheaves of corn," and other fantastic forms, 
appeared at Pwllheli. 

Between Harlech and Tal-sarnau station may be seen a 
small green hillock, on the right-hand side, rising in the 
midst of the extensive flat. This is called T Ldsynys (the 
Green Isle), and on the side of this hillock stands the farm- 
house of Lasynys-fawr, the residence of the famous " Elis 
Wyn o Lasynys," a renowned Welsh author (1670-^1784), 
whose book, Gweledigaethau y Bardd Cwsg (" The Visions of 
the Sleeping Bard "), will long remain a standard work for 
the vigour of its style and the purity of its Welsh idiom. 
About a mile further Llanfihangel-y-Traethau Church, with 
a notable inscribed stone in the churchyard, is to our left. 
The stone (unique of its kind in Wales) has a Latin inscrip- 
tion, which states that "here is the tomb of Wleder (or 
Gwleder), the mother of Odeleu, who (Odeleu) first built this 
church in the time of King Winus" (Wini Regis), supposed 
to be Owen Gwynedd, who died in 1169. An Irish antiquary 
read " Wleder Matris Odeleu " to mean Dermot O'Daly ! 

The next halt is at Tal-sarnau, and the map will show that 
we have to describe nearly half a circle in our journey from 
Harlech to Criccieth round Traeth Bach and across Traeth 
Mawr — Traeth meaning a tract of sand dry at low and 
covered at high water. From Tal-sarnau we may obtain a 
view of the modern Deudraeth Castle standing on the oppo- 
site side of Traeth Bach. After leaving Tal-sarnau, and 
having a beautiful view on the right as we cross the Dwyryd 
(which comes down from Festiniog), we approach Penrhyn- 
deudraeth (the Ness of the two Traeths), the nearest Cam- 
brian station to Maentwrog (about 4 m.) and Tan-y-bwlch, 
for which, in the summer, conveyances meet the trains ; and 
these conveyances can be conveniently used by visitors to the 
Felenryd Falls. From Penrhyn-deudraeth Cambrian convey- 
ances also run to Ceunant-y-parc, near Moelwyn and Cnicht. 
At the station we *,re near the most inland part of Traeth 
Bach, and the village has also a station on the Festiniog 
Railway. In one mile from Penrhyn station we reach Min- 
ffordd, a junction with the Festiniog line (described further 
en), and in another two miles Portmadoc; running across 
Traeth Mawr to it, and feasting our eyes upon a beautiful 
picture. Looking to the right from the carriage we see 
Cnicht, rising abruptly from the plain. Moelwyn is to the 
right of it ; to the left of it are the Glyders, lying low, then 
Snowdon, and then Moel Hebog. 




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Excursions. PORTMADOC. 10S 

portmadoe anb Grfccfetb. 

BXCUBSIONB AND DI8TANCIB. 

From Portmadoe by KoaA— Tremadoc, about 1 m., Penmor* 
fa. 2, Criccieth (shortest way), 4J, Pont Aberglaslyn, 6 (but 
a mile can be saved by walking along an old tramway, 
which crosses the Cambrian line a little to the east of the 
station), Beddgelert (omnibus) 1\, (short out) 6|, Snowdon 
station (omnibus) Hi, Pen-y-gwryd, 15, Capel Curlg, 19, 
Bettws-y-coed, 24| (station), Llanberls, 21} (station). To 
the five last named places 1 m. Is saved by the short cut. 

From Criccieth by Rat?.— Portmadoe, 5 m., Harlech, 14, Bar- 
mouth, 25, Dolgelley, 34, Towyn, 36, Aberystwyth, 63, Tan- 
y-bwlch (for Haentwrog and Falls), 13, Blaenau (for Slate 
Quarries), 18, Festlnlog (Falls), 22, Afon-wen, 4, Pwllheli, 
8 (for the Rivals, about 8 m.), Carnarvon, 22, Nantlle, 17, 
from which it Is 6 m. to Rhyd-ddu, and then 11) (omnibus) 
to Portmadoe— a delightful excursion. 

From Criccieth by Road.— Llanystumdwy, nearly 2, Crom- 
lechs (there and back), between 5 and 6, Dol-benmaen, 4, 
Llanflhangel, 5), Snowdon station (over the mountain, via 
LI anflh angel), 13, ascent of Moel Hebog, 4 or 4J hours, to 
Beddgelert over Hebog, 5 or 5) hours, Penmorfa, 31 m., 
Tremadoc, about 4, Pont Aberglaslyn, 9, Beddgelert, 10). 

PORTMADOC, where there are two or three hotels and 
some private lodgings, is a place rather of business than 
pleasure, but it is a starting point for the Snowdonian tours 
(see p. 160), and any one visiting it, if only for a few hours, 
should spend part of his time on the embankment, to enjoy 
at greater leisure the view up Traeth Mawr, which we 
saw from the train. The angling visitor will find trout in 
the Traeth. Moel-y-gfcst (743 feet), to the west of the town, 
is worth ascending, and the best way begins at a stone stile 
behind Morfa Lodge. There is a walk past the village of 
Borth-y-gSst (1 m.) — a quiet little place which finds great 
favour with some visitors — to a fine expanse of sand at the 
mouth of the Traeth ; and there are delightful trips by the 
Festiniog Railway, the station for which is about half a mile 
from the Cambrian, and reached by passing through the 
town. Pedestrians bound for Criccieth (instead of turning 
out of the street opposite the Police Station, and passing 
St. John's Church, so shortening their walk to 4J m.) might 
visit both Tremadoc and Penmorfa on the way. At Tre- 
madoc (less than one mile from the Cambrian station at 
Portmadoe), if they are lovers of Shelley, they will regret 
that Tan-yr-allt, the house where he lived, has been de- 
molished ; but there is a modern Tan-yr-allt — a little way out 
of the village, on the left of the Beddgelert road. Between 
Tremadoc and Penmorfa the site of a Roman Villa was dis- 
covered some years ago, in the garden of a cottage on the 
roadside ; and in the walk to Criccieth, if the traveller looks 
towards Moel-y-geat, he may succeed in discovering " the 
profile of the Puke of Wellington '" 



104 PORTMADOC. To Snowdon. 

A pleasant trip can be made from Portmadoc to Bardsey 
Isle by steamer, and in taking it the tourist may get a fine 
view of the Snowdonian mountains. He will steam near the 
ruins of Criccieth Castle, and past Pwllheli, and near Si 
Tudwal's Isles, on one of which a lighthouse is erected. 

We have said that Portmadoc is a starting point for Snow- 
donian coaches ; and an omnibus also plies to Beddgelert 
(fare 2s., return, 3s. 6d.). The road runs through the Pass 
of Aberglaslyn (6 m.). It is a grand approach to Snowdonia; 
and travellers who are bound for Carnarvon will do well to 
avail themselves of the circular tours arranged by the rail- 
way company, or in some other way to reach Llanberis by 
road. Carnarvon can also be reached by train from " Snow- 
don" station at Bhyd-ddu. 

Portmadoc cannot boast the grandeur of antiquity like Its 
neighbours Harlech and Criccieth. for It has only arisen within 
the last century. We are told that in 1791 Mr. Madocks pur- 
chased the Tan-yr-allt estate, and soon set to work to make dry 
land of a large part of Traeth Mawr, extending towards Pont Aber- 

?;laslyn. Mr. Madocks erected what is commonly called a "cob" 
n the district— an embankment, In fact, nearly a mile in length, 
which shut out the sea, and has been the means of reclaiming 
about 7,000 acres, at a cost of £100,000. Tremadoc (which we can 
see on the right from the railway as we approach Portmadoc) 
stands near one corner of the reclaimed land. Probably when it 
was built the idea was to make Tremadoc the town of the dis- 
trict, but the rapid development of slate-quarrying in the Fes- 
tiniog hills made a sea-port a sine qua non, and hence arose Port- 
madoc, to which the little railway runs from the quarries. 

As we journey by rail from Portmadoc to Criccieth the 
line passes to the north of Moel-y-gest. Criccieth 
(winter population, 1,405) has a castle ruin on a hill ;and this 
affords a view and a lounge. Criccieth Castle is said by 
some to have been built by the Welsh princes, and only 
cased with masonry by Edward I. "A double fosse and 
vallum, and the lines of the outer and inner courts, may be 
accurately traced." Criccieth Castle is now the property 
of Lord Harlech. There is hotel accommodation, and there 
are lodgings at Criccieth (which has extended of late years 
on each side of the Castle rock) both in the town and on 
the shore ; there is boating and there is bathing ; and there 
is English service on Sunday in church and chapel. 

Between the railway station and the shore the footpath 
crosses a little hill, from which an extensive view can be 
enjoyed — the coast stretching far down into South "Wales, 
the top of Cader rising over the hills to the right of Harlech 
Castle, the Rhinog range, Arenig, Moelwyn, Moel Hebog 
(looking to the right over the town), and the peak of Snow- 
don immediately to the left of Hebog, the Garnedd Gdch 
range, and the Rivals. The walks near at hand include a 
visit to the prettily situated church of Llanystumdwy (the 



Walks. CBICCIETH. 105 

Church at the Bend of the Dwy River), nearly two miles 
along the Pwllheli road ; and an excursion in search of crom- 
lechs. For the latter the road running up the Green and 
to the left of the " flag-staff hill " should be taken. A little 
more than a mile along it, turn 'right near Gell farm, left 
again almost immediately into a private road, and again left 
in about half a mile at Ynys Ddu farm. A cart track leads 
to some farm buildings ; keep to the left of them, and soon 
you see before you, on gently rising ground, one of the 
Cromlechs, a large flat stone on four low supporters. Keeping 
over the hill, a lane will be found running down to the 
Dwyfor river, a bridge crossing it, a path up to a road, and 
another path to a cottage, near which is a second and finer 
cromlech with a " mushroom-shaped " top-stone. [This 
cromlech is best approached from the road which turns to 
the left at the Gell. If it is followed, about half a mile 
beyond a pretty bridge, Pont-rhyd-y-benllig, the cromlech 
will be seen some distance to the right]. The whole walk to 
see the two cromlechs is between five and six miles. A third 
walk is to Mod-y-gist, starting along the beach ; and back 
via Portmadoc by railway. By boat Harlech, or Mochras, 
with its shelly shore, can be reached; or nearer at hand, 
the caves at the Black Rock, Y Graig Ddu (less than two 
miles away, along the shore), and the fine expanse of sand 
close beyond, on which the old church of Treflys looks down. 
In the shore-walks the time of low tide must be chosen. 

A longer walk leads to Ltanfihangel-y -pennant (the second village 
of the name which we have visited), and over Moel Hebog to 
Beddgelert. Dol-benmaen, where is a torn en, on which a castle 
stood, is four miles away; but, taking the road past Tnyt Ddu, 
mentioned in the last paragraph (not turning left there), when 
we reach the old Carnarvon highway, after walking a short dis- 
tance to the left we can save a long devour (past Dol-benmaen 
mound) by following, to the right, a footpath (near a white cot- 
tage) which crosses one stream and runs along another, the 
Dwyfor, to a bridge. This we pass over, join the road, and pre- 
sently reach Llanflhangel (5J m. from Criccleth), a few houses 
prettily embosomed in the hills, but no inn. About half-a-mile 
further we turn right by a chapel, and soon get on the hill-side, 
aim for the summit of Moel Hebog (2,566 feet), and ascend by a 
wall to the cairn (which we shall not reach in much less than four 
hours and a half from Criccleth). Beddgelert comes in view soon 
after crossing the summit, and we reach it in about an hour. 

The walk up the valley of the Dwyfor leads into the very heart 
of the mountains; and if we had kept to the road past the chapel, 
a path over the hills on our right (the ridge running north from 
Hebog) would have taken us to **Bnowdon" railway station at Rhyd- 
ddu (7J miles from Llanflhangel). 

Ton may fish in the sea for mackerel and gurnet, or (with 
tickets, sold by Mr. G. P. Williams) in the Dwyfor and Dwy- 
fach (the Great and Little Dwy or Dee), and there is a large 



106 PWLLHELI. Excursions. 

lake, Cwm Ystrallyn Lake, about six miles from Criccieth, 
to the south of Moel Hebog. One route for the ascent of 
Moel Hebog passes near the lake ; and on the way to Ystra- 
llyn from Criccieth Clenenney is passed, where lived Sir 
John Owen, a noted Royalist. Condemned to be beheaded, 
in company with some nobles, he said, " I think it a great 
honour for a poor gentleman of Wales to lose his head in 
company with such noble lords," having feared that he would 
be hanged. But through the intervention of friends amongst 
the ruling party he was spared this great honour, and after 
a short imprisonment was set free. 

From Criccieth to Afon-wen is a few minutes' railway ride, 
and here we have a junction with another railway, to Car- 
narvon (19 miles). From the station there is a wonderful 
panorama of mountains, much the same as that which is 
seen from the Gimlet Bock, as described below. In four 
miles more we are at Pwllheli. 



pwllbelf. 

EXCLUSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Llanbedrog, 4 miles (by tram, for Llanbedrog 
Hill, and Glyn-y-weddw mansion and grounds); Aber-sdch 
(omnibus), 7, or 3 from end of tram (for Porth Ceiriad, 3, 
Pen-y-gaer, for view of Hell's Mouth, 1, Llangian Church, lfc, 
Llanengan, 2, Nanhoron Valley, 3); Nanhoron Valley (from 
Pwllheli), 8; Cam Madryn, 8; Aberdaron, 14£ (about 10J 
from end of tram), by omnibus, 16£ (for end of promon- 
tory, 2£ miles, and for Bardsey Isle) ; Cromlech on Mynydd 
Cefn Amwlch, about 11; Bodvean Woods, 4-5; Nevin, 7 (omni- 
bus); Porth Din-llaen, 7; Lllthfaen (Cambrian conveyance 
for Llanaelhaiarn and Lllthfaen), about 6 (for Tr Eifl, I h. 
highest summit); Clynnog (Cromlech), 10 J ; Carnarvon, zOJ. 

The Cambrian Railway Company's conveyances run to 
Llangybi (6 m.), where there is an ancient well and Moel 
Bentyrch can be ascended, and through Aber-sdch to Sara, 
and back through Tydweillog, Nevin and the Bodvean 
woods. Conveyances also run vifi Nanhoron Valley to Sam, 
to the Bivals, Criccieth, and Beddgelert: but all these ar- 
rangements are, of course, subject to alteration. 

By Rail. — Criccieth, 8; Portmadoc, 13, for Beddgelert and 
Snowdon (see Portmadoc); Nantlle, 18; Carnarvon, 23. 

PWLLHELI (winter population, 3,675) is the northern 
terminus of the Cambrian Railways, and 132 miles 
from Whitchurch, where they begin. [The nearest spelling 
we can think of to give a notion of the pronunciation is 
Pullth-helly ; and the English translation is the Brine or 
Salt-water Pool]. Old Pwllheli stands some way from the 



Oimlet Bock. PWLLHBU. 107 

shore, but in December, 1888, the first stone of a terrace on 
the beach was laid by the Mayor, and here hotels and a 
good many lodging houses have been built, and New Pwll- 
heli has its tennis court and its Golf Links (on the shore 
west of the " West End "). The Corporation have shown an 
enterprising spirit in .their endeavours to make the place 
attractive, and, amongst other things, have constructed a 
tramway from the outskirts of the town to the Victoria 
Parade, South Beach (fare Id.). Tram-cars also run along 
the shore to Llanbedrog (fares : to West End Id., Llan- 
bedrog 4d.), and there are some pleasant walks and drives 
in the neighbourhood. The low hills to the north of the 
town afford beautiful views, but visitors are not always wel- 
comed by the tenant. The water is brought from Mur- 
cwymp, Four Crosses, about five miles from Pwllheli. The 
beach, composed of sand and very small shingle, extends for 
four miles, bathing facilities are, of course, provided, and 
the magnificent view of the Carnarvonshire and Merioneth- 
shire mountains will help to make the place popular with 
families who seek rest and quiet. Indeed the view over the 
sea to the mountains, on a sunny day, is, of its kind, perhaps 
unrivalled in Wales. Sea fishing abounds, and fresn-water 
anglers need not go far away. Boating is also one of the 
pleasures of Pwllheli, and in fine weather the excursion can 
be extended to St. Tudwal's Isles or Bardsey. 

At the mouth of the harbour is a curious rock, Carreg-yr- 
Irabill, the Gimlet Rock, with a far-reaching outlook of rare 
beauty. To visit it the best way is through the old town to 
the new, which is about a mile from the station, and reached 
by omnibuses (part of the way also by the Corporation 
trams), and then to the left along the shore, another half- 
mile. The view extends to the coast of Pembrokeshire, and 
includes Barmouth, Harlech Castle, and Criccieth Castle, 
the long ridge of Cader Idris, and then, carrying the eye to 
the left, the Rhinog range, Arenig, Manod, Moelwyn, Cnicht, 
Moel Siabod, Moel Hebog, Snowdon, the Garnedd Goch 
range, the Gyrn Ddu group, the Rivals (a little to the right 
of the station), Carn Boduan (over the old town), and Carn 
Madryn (over the new town). Much of this view can be 
seen from the beach. The Bodvean Woods are a pleasant 
resort. Walk (or drive) four miles along the Nevin road, 
and when the woods are reached a road on the right leads 
through them to the Portmadoc road, where we turn to tl*e 
left and reach the Pwllheli and Nevin road again. There we 
turn left, and soon pass Bodvean church. Bodvean is an 
Anglicized way of writing the older form of Boduan, viz., 
Bod Fuan, " the Dwelling of St. Buan." 



108 PWLLHET.T. Llanbedrog. 

Cam Madrytl (1,21.7 feet), a conspicuous hill even as 
far away as Aberystwyth, is about eight miles from Pwllheli, 
but the walker could save a couple of miles by taking the 
tram to Llanbedrog, or he might reach the pretty Nanhoror{ 
Valley by one of the public conveyances, and then his walk 
would be only three miles. On the north of the hill is 
Madryn Park, which visitors are allowed to enter with a 
permit in the absence of the family. 

To Llanbedrog-, Abersdch, and Aberdaron. 

The peninsula of Lleyn (pronounced Llyn) can be further ex 
plored with the aid of tram-car and other conveyances. The tram 
line for Llanbedrog starts from the Maes, a few minutes' walk 
from the station through the town. The line runs to the shore, 
reaching it near the West End Hotel, and then mostly along the 
beach to Llanbedrog (4 miles, fare 4d.), and there are fine views 
of the Carnarvonshire and Merionethshire mountains all the way. 
At Llanbedrog?, a pretty spot, nestling in its trees under a 
steep, wild promontory, there is Llanbedrog Hill (in Welsh 
called Mynydd Tir-y-cwmmwd) to ascend, for which pass the 
church, take the first turn to the left, and to the left of some 
cottages. The path runs past a white cottage seen in front, and 
so up the hill (433 feet), which, in their season, is a patchwork of 
heather and gorse. Close to the station at Llanbedrog is the 
entrance to Glyn-y-weddw (6d.), in which are a picture gallery, 
and, better still, pleasant walks in the grounds and in the woods. 

From Llanbedrog it is a walk of three miles to Aber-sdch, a 
larger village with a small harbour, to which conveyances run 
from Pwllheli (7 miles). The old house with massive chimneys, 
Castellmarch, seen on the right, about two miles from Llanbedrog, 
represents, according to tradition, the castle of a king called March. 
who had horse's ears, and corresponds with the King Mark of 
the Tristram Romance. Aber-s6ch is growing In popularity as 
a quiet watering-place, and has several lodging-houses and a 
small hotel. There is good bathing on its extensive sands, and it 
is a convenient centre for several points of Interest. The tide 
goes out a long way, and the gleaming stretch of yellow sand 
between here and Llanbedrog Head, the broad plain of deep-blue 
sea, flecked with hosts of gulls, and beyond, far but clear, the 
triple-topped mountains of Ardudwy, form a picture not readily 
forgotten. It is to be seen at low tide on a clear day as we walk 
or drive the last mile to Aber-sdch; and the views of Snowdon 
are also very good hereabouts. Aber-soch looks out on St. Tud- 
wal's Roads, where, in rough weather, a large number of vessels 
may be seen taking refuge in the only good roadstead be- 
tween Holyhead and Milford Haven; and to the south-east lie St. 
Tudwal's Isles, one of which was purchased a few years ago by 
Father Hughes, a zealous Catholic priest, who, after living a hard 
life there, and preaching on the neighbouring coast, died in 1887 

The bold headland south of Aber-sdch is worth exploring. Start 
along the shore, or along the southerly road, and soon, near Lly- 
ferin, take a path and then a tramway, which skirts the shore as 
far as the new lifeboat station. From there follow the line of 
cliffs to Pi sty 11 Cim, where a small spout of water falls into a 
rock -walled inlet, and in windy weather there is often a fine sea. 
A little further, we reach the extremity of Penrhyn Du, called 
Trwyn-y-wylfa, or Look-out Naze (about 2J m. from Aber-soch). 
Between Trwyn-y-wylfa and Trwyn Cilan, another point of the 



k 



Aber-sdch. PWLLHBLT. 109 

headland, lies the bay of Porth Cririad, partly shut In by lofty per- 
pendicular rocks, called Pared Mawr (the Great Wall). The plateau 
above can be reached by road from Aber-sdch in less than 
three miles; but the visitor should beware how he descends to 
the shore — the safe descent is near the east end — and how long he 
stays on the rocks with a rising tide, or he may be imprisoned 
there till midnight, as the present writer once was, or even till 
morning. Bathers should also be warned that there are danger- 
ous currents at Porth Ceiriad. 

Returning to the plateau, the visitor can make his way (wes- 
terly) past one of the camps which are to be found here, to H«ITt 
Mouth, a broad, sandy bay, stretching in nearly a straight line 
of over three miles to the rock-cliffs of Rhiw ; and past Rhiw the 
walk could be extended to Aberdaron. It is called Hell's Mouth 
because of the danger to mariners, partly caused by its currents, 
which also make it dangerous to bathers except at the Rhiw end. 
Its Welsh name Is Porth Neugwl. When certain gales are on, It 
Is worth visiting Hell's Mouth to see the waves dashing up in 
great battalions, and the sound of the surf booms far and wide 
through the country-side. The visitors who come from Pwllheli 
and spend a day at Aber-sdch may be recommended to walk 
about a mile (west), to Pen-y-gaer, where they will have a good view 
of Hell's Mouth, the Rhiw Mountain, and Bardsey Island, rising 
imposingly from the sea. From Pen-y-gaer a descent can be made 
(west) to the road between Hanffian (11 m. from Aber-sdch) and 
Uanengan (2 miles), the former remarkable for its Romano-British 
stone in the churchyard, the latter for Its Perpendicular church, 
which contains a very fine rood-screen. Finally, as to Aber-sdch. 
it is a walk of three miles from there to the Nanhoron VaUoy, and 
three more to Cam Madryn. 

It is a tiresome drive from Pwllheli to Aberdaron, for the 
scenery has no particular beauty to make up for the drawbacks 
of a journey which is necessarily slow over the roads of these 
parts; except that the Nanhoron Valley (about eight miles from 
Pwllheli) forms an oasis of woods and park-like meadows, making 
a fine foreground for Cam Madryn. Aberdaron can be reached 
by omnibus in 16ft miles; or on foot in 14J miles (or 10ft from 
Llanbedrog tram station), by a road which commands much better 
views and keeps nearer the sea, passing through Pig-street, 
Mynytho, and Rhiw, a beautiful spot, with its tor-crowned moor- 
land, resembling, even more than Llanbedrog, a bit of the out- 
skirts of Dartmoor dropped down by the edge of the Cornish sea. 
The Rhiw Mountain (965 feet) is well worth following towards Barn 
tor its fine views. The driving road runs through Sam Metiltsyrn, 
commonly called Sara, which is within two miles of a cromlech 
on Mynydd Cefn Amwlch, remarkable for its peaked cap-stone, 
and passes Castell Odo, an ancient camp. Sam, which has an 
inn, Aber-sdch, and Aberdaron are the only local centres for ex- 
ploring the extensive district west of Pwllheli. 

Aberdaron reached, we find two plain little inns and a few 
lodgings, but Aberdaron is not a place which caters much for 
visitors. The old church has some interesting features, and the 
primitive village is associated with "Dick of Aberdaron," whose 
genius for languages brought him, ragged and uncultured as he* 
was, into distinguished company; and with "The Simple Folk of 
Aberdaron/* of whom the same tales are told as of "The Wise- 
Men of Gotham." The end of the Carnarvonshire promontory, 
Braich-y-pwll, is two miles and a half away, a scene to de- 
light the traveller, especially when gorse and heather paint the 
headland with colours which an artist would scarcely dare to* 



110 PWLLHELI. Bardsey Island. 

employ. The magnificent rocks, in one place called Parwyd 
(the Wall), ascend precipitously from the sea to a great height, 
and Bardsey, rising boldly out of the water, only two miles away, 
makes up a beautiful picture. Down by the sea-side to the east 
of the extreme south-west point, and only to be approached at 
low water, is Ffynnon Fair, Our Lady's Well; and some scanty 
remains of a chapel, Eglwys Fair, are also to be found before des- 
cending to the well. The whole coast round the headland is well 
worth exploring. 

It is a matter of some difficulty to reach Bardsey Isle, for wind 
and tide must be consulted, and sometimes the visitor is im- 
prisoned there for days. The charge for a boat is about £1, but 
more on a rough sea; and the time varies from less than an hour 
(sailing) to an indefinite period. Intending voyagers might do 
well to write to the Aberdaron postmaster. 

Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli) is full of interest for the anti- 
quary. The Welsh name is generally explained to mean the Isle 
of the Eddy, and there is certainly a mighty tide-race or enUi in 
the sound between Bardsey and the mainland, but Professor 
Hhys thinks its name is softened from Ynys Fenlli, " the Island 
of Benlli Gawr *' (the Giant), whose name is found in Foel Fenlli, 
and who is called Enlli Gawr in the poetical legend of St. Cyn- 
hafal (see Part II., p. 190 ). Bardsey seems for many centuries to 
have been the Iona of Wales. The Book of IAandaf, compiled in 
the 12th century, mentions a native of Devonshire, Elgar, who, 
having been captured by pirates, and sold into Irish slavery, 
eventually escaped and was shipwrecked on Bardsey, where he 
died in peculiar sanctity. His relics were translated to Llandaff 
in May, 1120, together with those of St. Dubricius, who ended his 
days as a recluse here. The same authority tells us that 20,000 
saints were buried in Bardsey, and that there a younger person 
never died before an older; so that Bardsey was evidently a place 
to go to for health ! Of the mediaeval Abbey of St. Mary, the only 
remains consist of a portion of a tower of the 13th century. The 
last notable person to be buried in the island was the late Lord 
Newborough, who had erected there a monument nine feet high 
to his 20,000 predecessors. As to the name Bardsey, it is said, 
with little apparent reason, to mean the Isle of Bards. There 
are places of the same name in England, Bardsey parish, near 
Leeds, and Bardsea, on the coast by ulverston, which can hardly 
be so called after Celtic bards. And there is nothing to show 
that they specially resorted here; but one true bard, Meilir, the 
earliest of the Welsh mediaeval poets, expressed in some fine 
lines his longing to be buried in Ynys Enlli, " with the bosom of 
th-e brine around its churchyard " (" Ac am ei mynwent mynwes 
heli."). Perhaps he had his desire, and like his brother poet, 
the Breton Chateaubriand, reposes in a sea-girt grave. 

Nevln and the Rivals. 

Nevin, on the other side of the promontory that divides 
Tremadoc Bay from Carnarvon Bay, can be reached by road 
in seven miles from Pwllheli ; and Nevin is a pleasant little 
spot, where Edward I. once held a tournament, and where 
Giraldus Cambrensis, after hunting high and low through 
Wales in vain, at last found a Welsh copy of the Prophecies 
of Merlin. An omnibus plies from Pwllheli railway station 
to Nevin, and on the wav passes Bodvel, the birthplace of 
Mrs. Pioizi, visited by her in company with Dr. Johnson 



Yr »t/f- NBVIN. Ill 

in 1774. [An omnibus also runs from Chwilog station to 
Nevin]. A little further from Pwllheli is Porth Dinllaen 
(8 miles), the dream of a once aspiring company, the West 
•Midland, who hoped one day to turn its fine natural harbour 
into a competing port with Holyhead for the Irish traffic. 

Nevin (1,755 inhabitants), which has a small but com- 
fortable hotel, the Nanhoron Arms, generally full, is the 
best place to stay at for those who visit Yr Eifl, the three 
peaks which are so conspicuous from many parts of North 
Wales. (Yr Eifl is Englished into " The Rivals," but taken 
in Welsh to be a dual or plural of Gafl, " a fork," and to 
refer to the two forks made by the three peaks). It is a truly 
primitive place. A mile away is Mot fa Nevin, where lodg- 
ings can be found, and from the shore there is a fine view 
of the Rivals ; and a mile beyond Morfa is Porth T>\rdlatn y 
where there are traces of ancient earth-works. Close behind 
Nevin rises Cam Boduan (918 feet), commanding a glorious 
view, and here remains of Cyttiau Gwyddelod (Irishmen's 
Huts) are to be seen ; but our space must be devoted to Yr 
Eifl. If you drive to Llithfcten (4 miles), where there is a 
little inn, you can reach the highest summit in less than 
three-quarters of an hour, by taking the first turning to the 
left beyond the Victoria Inn, and when you come to the open 
mountain turning up by a wall and following the first road 
to the right to the cairn (1,887 feet). The panorama of sea 
and mountain is remarkable — extending from the Great 
Orme's Head to Pembrokeshire, with a magnificent view of 
Snowdonia. Carnarvon, the Britannia Bridge, the Arans, 
Cader Idris, and Plynlimmon are included in the scene, and, 
sometimes, the Wicklow Hills. The pedestrian should leave 
the road from Nevin at Pistyll (about two miles) and walk 
above the cliffs past the Rock of the Leap, a very fine bit 
of cliff scenery, frequented by sea birds, to Vortigerris Valley 
(Nant Gwrtheyrn), land-locked on all sides except where it 
fronts the sea. A cart road, however, leads up the sides of 
the valley, and by that route Yr Eifl can be approached by 
turning to the left when the open hill-side is reached. This 
locality is one of the fabled sites of Vortigern's castle, des- 
troyed by "fire from heaven" in a single night ; and more 
than a century ago a stone coffin, containing an unusually 
large skeleton, was unearthed from a tumulus here, called 
Bedd Gwrtheyrn, or Vortigern's Grave. But Nennius, our 
earliest authority, places the scene of Vortigern's fiery exit 
on the Teifi, the place meant being the rock still called Craig 
Gwrtheyrn, near Llandyssul. 

Between' the highest point of Yr Eifl and the road which runs 
on from Llithfaen to Carnarvon stands Tre 'r Ceiri, on one of the 



112 CLYNNOG. Church. 

three peaks. Tre 'r Ceiri (the Giants' Town) is the most impor- 
tant of all the remains of prehistoric fortified towns in North 
Wales; it is described by the late Mr. Barnwell in the Archaeo- 
loffia Cambrerms for 1871 (4th ser., vol. 2). The remains of the for- 
tifications cover a large area. Farts of the wall which enclosed 
the town, says Mr Barnwell, are fifteen feet high and sixteen feet 
broad, and some of the circular "houses" have a diameter of fif- 
teen or sixteen feet; but the stones which cover the ground pre- 
vent us from seeing the real proportions of the works. The best 
approach is on the Carnarvon road, about half-a-mile from Llith- 
faen. Turn to the left, up the slope, to a green pathway, which 
leads to one of the main entrances. [The nearest station on the 
Carnarvon and Afon-wen line for the Rivals is Llangybi, 7—8 m.J. 

The road from Llithfaen runs on to Llanaelhaiam (2 miles) 
and Clynnogr (6 miles), pleasant for situation, guarded on 
one side by mountains, on another by the sea. The church 
is a remarkable one, and deserves careful examination. Pen- 
nant, in his day, considered it " the most magnificent struc- 
ture of the kind in North Wales." It was restored in 1858. 
A passage leads to the Chapel of St. Beuno, who, after many 
wanderings, is said to have settled at Clynnog before 635. 
There was once a belief that the scrapings of the pillars in 
the chapel were good for sore eyes if dissolved in water. Any 
water, perhaps, would do, but the most efficacious, doubt- 
less, was that of St. Beuno's Well, close by, which at one 
time possessed healing virtues. St. Beuno's chest, kept in 
the sacristy, is famous, and in the church were once used a 
pair of what were called " lazy tongs " (in Welsh gefail gdbn, 
" dog tongs "), for dragging dogs out of the building. They 
are still to be seen. A Cromlech stands between the village 
and the shore, to the south of the lane which runs direct to 
the sea. 

If we turn off to the right a mile before we get to Clynnog, as 
we come from Llithfaen, a dingle may be followed up to a pretty 
waterfall, called Rhaiadr Dibyn Mawr (Great Precipice Fall), made 
by the brook called on the ordnance map Afon Hen. Thence 
the mountain-mass may easily be climbed to its lofty tops of 
Oyrn Ddu and Oyrn Odeh (on the right), or Bwlch Mawr (on the left), 
studded with noble rock-tors; and from Bwlch Mawr (1,670 feet) 
we may descend by the edge of a little valley choked with the 
fall of huge blocks, and called Seler Ddu, or the Black Cellar 
(whence springs the river Dwyfach, which joins the Dwyfor rear 
Criccieth), to Hengwm farm, and so to Pant-gldt station, a walk of 
some half-dozen miles from the Clynnog road. A mile south of 
Seler Ddu are the remains of a notable hill-fort or town, Pen-y- 

faer, on a steep, isolated eminence. A walk of about five miles 
akes the traveller from Clynnog to Pen-y-groM railway stttlon, 
and by making a detour he could visit an ancient encampment 
on the Foel, and Craig-y-ddinas on the banks of the Llyfni. 

Leaving Clynnog for Carnarvon (9f m.) by road, between five 
and six miles away (over a mile to the left, near Llandwrog) is 
the fine ancient encampment of Dinas Dirtfle, topping a great 
mound on the sea shore. There is hotel accommodation 



Bogie*, FBSTINIOQ RAILWAY. lit 

at Dinas Dinlle, for which, in the summer, conveyances meet 
the trains at Llanwnda, or, when they do not stop there, at 
Dinas Junction station ; where also, twice a day, a convey- 
ance will be found for Clynnog. 



Gbe f esttntofl Hailwag. 

THE Festiniog Railway, one of the modern M Wonders of 
Wales," constructed to carry slate down to Portmadoo 
to be shipped, was at first worked by horse-power in the up 
journey, and in the down journey " the whole train was im- 
pelled by its own gravitation," until Mr. Fairlie's Bogies 
came upon the scene, and the steam engine climbed the 
Festiniog hills. These engines, in their wonderful adapta- 
tion to mountain railways, so far attracted official attention 
that in 187(1 a* Royal Commission, representing Russia, 
France, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, and Eng- 
land, invaded Wales, with the Duke of Sutherland and 
Count Bobrinskoy at its head, for the purpose of question- 
ing Mr. Spooner, the engineer, and overhauling his line. 

The Fairlie "double-bogie engines," when they first appeared, 
were great curiosities. The largest driving wheels among them 
were but 2ft. 4in. in diameter, whilst the prevailing size was 2ft., 
and they could pull from forty to seventy empty slate trucks, 
weighing 13 cwt. each, together with goods trucks and passenger 
carriages, up a steep incline at the rate of many miles an hour. The 
Festiniog line is 1ft. ll}in. in gauge, 13£ miles long, and runs up 
hill from Port ma doc to Duffws (the railway company's form of 
Diphwys), nearly 700 feet above Portmadoo, with an average 
gradient of 1 in 92, and a maximum of 1 in 68; and the curves 
are so sharp that in one place you may see the huge elate trains 
on four curves at the same time, forming a double 8. The regula- 
tion speed over these curves is twelve miles an hour, but it is 
said to be safe at thirty. The whole cost of the line, including a 
mile of breakwater in the Glaslyn estuary, half a mile of tunnel- 
ing, and rolling stock as well, was about £6,000 per mile. Many 
thousands more have been spent in improvements, but the under- 
taking proved a great pecuniary success, having paid 30 per cent, 
or more for some years. The line is cut into and embanked upon 
the steep slope of the valley, and some of the breast-walls are 60 
feet in height, and are sharply curved. 

The scenery along the line is charming, but the journey 
would be still more delightful if the trees which shut out the 
view in some places were cut down. We might start, of course, 
from Portmadoc itself, in which case, as from the Cambrian, 
we should enjoy the exquisite view of the mountains up 
Traeth Mawr ; but let us join the line at Minffcrrdd Junction 
(on the Cambrian Railway), like most tourists. To see to ad- 
vantage we should here choose one of the first-class carriages 



114 FESTINIOG RAILWAY. Maentwrog. 

with seats running lengthwise, and facing the tale ; or, fail- 
ing this, seats on the same side (the right) of other carriages. 
Before taking our places at Minffordd (the Edge of the Road) 
we may note the fine view of Cnicht, and have a glimpse— -not 
an impressive one- -of Snowdon in the opposite direction. 
Harlech Castle is soon seen away to the right ; and when we 
have passed Penrhyn (Deudraeth) station there is a charm- 
ing peep into the Dwyryd Valley. Soon we are high above 
Maentwrog, but the line makes a great curve just here, be- 
fore we pull up at the station for that place and Tan-y-bwlch. 
From Tan-y-bwlch station it is a mile down hill, a beauti- 
ful shaded walk, to the Oakeley Arms Hotel, Tan-y- 
bwlch, by the road which once formed the highway be- 
tween Dolgelley and Carnarvon. [Pedestrians coming to the 
station take a path after passing along a sheet of water]. 

In the other direction Beddgelert is nine miles, and Pont Aber- 
glaslyn seven miles and a half, from Tan-y-bwlch station along 
this road. A shorter and more attractive way for pedestrians 
who like mountain roads is to be found to the right of this road, 
starting by a path from the station platform. This mountain road 
runs under Moelwyn and Cnicht, both of which can be climbed 
from it, but the ascent of Cnicht is in parts very steep. For 
Moelwyn leave the road a little more than two miles from the 
station, and there is an easy climb up the shoulder called Braich- 
y-parc to the summit. The mountain road joins the carriage-way 
four or live hundred yards from Pont Aberglaslyn, and reduces 
the distance by a mile and a half. The road generally used by 
vehicles goes round through Penrhyn-deudraeth from the Oakeley 
Arms, three miles further than the old highway. 

Tan-y-bwlch and Maentwrog-. 

The Oakeley Arms Hotel at Tan-y-bwlch, and the Grapes 
at Maentwrog, are less than half a mile apart. The former 
takes its. name from the Oakeley family, whose mansion — 
Plas Tan-y-bwlch — is at hand. There is a fine view from the 
inn seawards, and in the direction of the mountains ; and 
visitors at both hotels can obtain permission to walk in the 
beautiful grounds of Plas Tan-y-bwlch. In the river, especi- 
ally after abundant rain, salmon and sewin, as well as trout, 
may be caught. Tan-y-bwlch means Under the Pass (or Gap). 

Maentwrog 1 has, besides the Grapes Hotel, several 
lodging houses in or near it. It is in a beautiful situ- 
ation, and possesses strong attractions in tbe Felenryd 
waterfalls, Rhaiadr Du and the Raven Fall. To quote Mr. 
Pugh : — u Maentwrog is a romantic village, on the southern 
banks of the Dwyryd, or Two Fords. Its name, the * Stone 
of Twrog,' is derived from a monumental maen of great size, 
erected to the pious memory of Twrog. To him that longeth 
for contemplation and solitude Maentwrog offers a combina- 
tion of attractions of no common order." This stone we may 



Waterfall*. MAENTWROG. 116 

see at the corner of the church, just below the Grapes Hotel. 
Here Archdeacon Prys, whose metrical version of the Psalms 
is still used in Wales, was buried. He was the rector of the 
parish at the time of his death in 1024. 

We find St. Twrog again at Llandwrog, near Carnarvon, and, 
not far off, a Bedd Twrog or Twrog's Grave on the mountain 
north- of Nantlle; there was also a noted Welsh MS., now lost, 
called the Book of Twrog. Somewhere In Haentwrog, the Mabin- 
ogion tell us, Pryderi, King of western South Wales, was slain In 
single combat witb the treacherous Northwallan enchanter, 
Gwydion ap Don. They say that "he was buried at Maen Tyrlawc, 
above the Helenryd (Yellow Ford), and there is his grave." A 
Welsh triplet tells us that "Pryderl's grave was at Abcr Genoll, 
where the waves beat against the land;" but the Genoll (some 
river or brook) has lost or changed its name— perhaps it was the 
old name of the Felenryd River. Felenryd (so spelt in the Motrin- 
ogion, and always so pronounced In the locality) has been persis- 
tently mis-spelt Fthnrnyd by maps and books. (F) Felenryd 
means the (River of the) Yellow Ford, just as the Dwyryd, into 
which it runs, means the (River of the) Two Fords, the "Two 
Fords" being presumably where the old valley-road crossed the 
Dwyryd and the Cynfael, and the "Yellow Ford" almost certainly 
where It crossed the Felenryd below Maentwrog. Rhaiadr Du 
simply means the Black Cataract, and there is another one of 
the same name which we have visited in the Dolgelley district. 

To reach the falls we must follow the Harlech road from 
Maentwrog for nearly a mile, when we see before us a bridge, 
and the glen down which the Felenryd River comes, to the 
left. Do not cross the bridge, but turn up a road to the left, 
near a cottage (Pen-y-bont), where, if you like, you can get a 
guide. Keep up the mountain road, and in a few hundred 
yards you have to your right a farm house (Felenryd Fach). 
After following the road for a few hundred yards further you 
come to a gate across it, and passing through the gate, and tak- 
ing a grass path bearing to the right, in a few minutes reach 
an old building, which was, we believe, a smelting furnace 
when copper was tried for in the locality. Tou are now about 
two miles from Maentwrog. Follow the path on the right of 
the building, until, soon, another path runs down towards the 
river, and that will take you to a spot from which you see the 
Raven Fa.ll, though, as the water falls in a succession of 
Biz cascades (altogether about 180 feet) in a deep wooded glen, 
it is difficult to get a full view. 

Retracing your steps, follow the path up stream until the 
way forks, and take the left fork, which goes rather steeply 
up to a stile over a wall. When another path is reached, turn 
to the right,. and so to Rhaiadr Du, a fine fall after rain. 
To return to Maentwrog, retrace your steps for a while, but, 
avoiding the path by Which you came from the Raven Fall, 
keep on until you pass through a gate in a wall ; then the 
patn turns to the right for a snort distance, and again to the 



116 BLAENAU FESTINIOG. Slates. 

left, and soon reaches the smelting furnace, from which you 
will have no difficulty in finding the way to Maentwrog. 

Instead of returning to Maentwrog you might have a pleasant 
walk (o! about 2J miles) to Maentwrog Road Station, on the Fes- 
tiniog and Bala line. For this you do not return to the smelting 
furnace, but your way lies through a door in a wall, seen on the 
right, a little way oil the path, not very long after leaving Rhaiadr 
Du. From the door ascend a little to a green road, follow it to 
the left until it joins another road, and there turn to the right. 
In the walk to the station you pass hill-sides gorgeous with hea- 
ther and gorse in their season, and the road you traverse com- 
mands fine views occasionally of the Festiniog Valley. Avoiding 
one turn to the left, in about a mile and a half, opposite the en- 
trance to a farm with a high wall, turn left, and so into the 
Trawsfynydd road, where, turning right, you are about half a 
mile from the station. When a school house is reached, the turn 
to the left must be taken. [For the reverse route see p. 123]. 

Maentwrog to Festiniog 1 . 

From Maentwrog, the direct road to Festiniog is only two 
miles and three quarters. The walk all the way is de- 
lightful, and we shall be disposed to rest and enjoy the 
beauty, for the hill is steep. " With the woman one loves,*' 
said Lord Lyttelton, " one might pass an age in this vale and 
think it a day." And a pretty long age, too, if all that was 
told his lordship was gospel. " If you have a mind," he 
wrote to his friend, Mr. Bower, " to live long and renew 
your youth, come and settle at Festiniog. Not long ago 
there died in this neighbourhood an honest Welsh farmer, 
who was one hundred and five years of age. His youngest son 
was eighty-one years younger than his eldest, and eight hun- 
dred persons, his lineal descendants, attended his funeral." 

Resuming our journey by rail, soon after leaving Tan-y- 
bwlch, the village of Maentwrog is seen deep below us, and 
then Festiniog with its prominent little church appears on 
the other side of the valley, still some seven or eight miles 
away by rail. We pass Dduallt station, and our next halt is 
at Tan-y-grisiau (Under the Steps), the most convenient point 
fnstn which to make the ascent of Moelwyn. Shortly after 
thfojre arrive at Blaenau Festiniog Junction (with the L. and 
H. y?. Railway, which runs to Bettws-y-coed and Llandud- 
no), and almost immediately after at Duffws — a corruption 
of Drphwys— (also called Blaenau Festiniog). The station 
i& nearly 700 feet above the sea. 

Here, if we like to visit the " Palmerston " quarries, or 
others that use the line we have been ascending, we shall find 
plenty to do for the rest of the day. Blaenau has grown 
into a considerable place, and is given over to quarrying, 
which has sadly marred what must once have been a beauti- 
ful spot. Even now the crags that overhang the chief street 




z 

o 

I- 
C0 



o 



tt 



* 

14 



Exmrswn*. FESTINIOG. 11T 

of the town and confer the name of Diphwys (the Precipice) 
often look very imposing, and give quite a distinction to this 
place among Welsh towns. It is 5£ miles from Dolwyddelan 
by road, and l\\ from Bettws-y-coed. By rail Dolwyddelan 
is 6£ m., Pont-y-pant, 8, Bettws, 12$, Llandudno 31. 

The Great Western runs (in 8| m.), on the slopes of Manod, 
to Festiniog (for the falls, etc.), and there is a fine view 
down the Vale to the sea, with the Moelwyns on the right, 
and the Bhinog Range on the left. The station at Blaenau 
is reached by crossing the Btreet from the terminus of the 
narrow-gauge line and turning the corner of the Queen's 
Hotel. 

jfesttntofl- 

KICU18ION8 AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Cynfael Falls, 1 m., Bhaiadr Cwm, 3|, Tomen- 
y-mur, 3, Ty'n-y-groes, 13 (or BJ from Trawsfynydd station), 
Tan-y-grlsau, 3, Maentwrog, 2j, Tan-y-bwlch Inn, about 3, 
and station, 4, Rhyd-y-fen, 10 (for ascent of Arenig), Bala, 
19, Blaenau, 3, Dolwyddelan, 8J, Bettws-y-coed, 14J (or 14 
by mountain road via Penmachno). 

By Rail.— Maentwrog Road, 2 (for Tomen-y-mur, H, Felen- 
ryd Falls, 3, Maentwrog Village, 2), Trawsfynydd, 5 (for Bedd 
Porlus, 41, Rhaiadr Mawddach and Pistyll Cain, 7}, Llyn 
Cwm Bycnan, 9), Arenig station, 14 (for ascent of Arenig), 
Bala, 22, Blaenau, 4, Tan -y -gri.si.au, 5 (for ascent of Moel- 
wyn, 1J hour, mountain walk to Beddgelert, about 10 m.), 
Tan-y-bwlch. 9, Portmadoc, 17, Dolwyddelan, 10, Pont-y- 
pant, 12, Bettws-y-coed, 16, Llandudno, 34. 

The hotels at FestiniOf? (600 feet)— also called in 
Welsh Han Ffestiniog — are five minutes' walk from the rail- 
way, through the village street, which is uncomely, but the 
Pengwern Arms commands magnificent views of the Moel- 
wyns and the Manods. Near it is the Abbey Arms Hotel. 
The village is surrounded by such charming scenery, that 
many visitors might like a lengthened stay, and lodgings are 
to be found. From a field reached through a gate on the left 
of the churchyard the vale is seen in all its beauty. To the 
right of the Moelwyn group (on the right, as we face the 
vale) the summit of Moel Siabod is visible. Fishermen will 
find sport in the Dwyryd river, and in the Morwynion, Du- 
bach, and Gamallt lakes. There are Golf Links on the high 
ground above the railway station. 

A charming walk in the Dwyryd Valley may be taken by turn- 
ing down the road between the Pengwern Arms and the church. 
Soon turn left through a gate to the right of a wicket; when you 
have passed through a gap in a wall, turn left and soon cross a 
stream, turn left, cross another stream, take the right fork of a 
path and reach a road. Turning to the right you will pass a 
pretty little fall, and soon turn left by a road running between 



118 FE8TINI0G. Waterfalls. 

walls, and then a path to the right leads to a waterfall. Return- 
ing to the road, we can turn to the right, and at a little farm keep 
to the left as far as a rock with trees on It, then turn to the right, 
cross a wall, keep down to the stream, and turn to the right to a 
bridge, where another fall is in view; but it is only seen to ad- 
vantage by going into the woods. Returning from the bridge down 
the stream to a road, turn to the left, and soon take a path through 
a wood, which leads back to Festiniog by the way we came. 
The Afon Goedog, on which the two falls last mentioned lie, and 
the Dwyryd, into which it runs, are often discoloured by refuse. 

On the south is the picturesque Cynf aoi, which is locally 
pronounced as Cunval would be in English. It is reached 
in about a quarter of an hour from the station by a way 
through the fields, which first runs near the line (in the 
direction of Trawsfynydd) and then down to the right; but 
if you go from the village turn left through a farm yard, 
after passing the entrance to the church, cross a stone stile, 
and follow the path for ten minutes, when, after passing 
through a gate, your pathway runs down to a bridge, where 
you. see the first fall. Keeping left of the brook, up stream, 
in two minutes you see Hugh Lloyd's Pulpit, a flat-topped 
rock of peculiar colour and shape, rising in the bed of the 
Cynfael. By all means descend to it if you wish to feast 
your eyes on about the most delicious bit of rock and river 
scenery conceivable, but do not be rash ; a slip on these 
banks has been fatal. Continuing along the left side, cross- 
ing a bridge, and then following a path on the right of the 
stream, in six or seven minutes, immediately after passing 
a conspicuous white wall of rock overhanging the other 
bank, you arrive at the middle fall. You ascend a littre 
from the broader path, and still proceed with the Cynfael 
to your left, and it will take you about five minutes more to 
pass under the lofty railway bridge (if you can surmount the 
obstacles !), cross a little tributary, and reach the third fall. 
The whole walk may be accomplished in about an hour, 
but a day could not be spent more pleasantly than in loung- 
ing along the side of the river. One peculiarity which lends 
a particular charm to the falls is, that they are seen through 
rocky vistas, here and there beautiful with foliage. At 
Hugh Lloyd's Pulpit a more placid reach of the little river 
presents a similar picture. " Pulpud Hugh Llwyd Cynfael," 
to quote Mr. Pugh, " was the scene of the nocturnal ravings 
of a maniac of that name." The author is not so compli- 
mentary to the memory of Hugh Lloyd as are. other writers. 
One dubs him " Bard, magician, and warrior," and narrates 
his exploits in the Parliamentary forces, where he held a 
commission from General Monk. But this statement is 
knocked on the head by the fact that he died about 1620. 



Rhaiadr Cwm. FESTINIOG. 119 

We have mentioned the usual way of reaching the glen; but 
immediately beyond the path from the village already described, 
another path descends steeply straight down to the river, at • 
very pretty spot, where we can cross a footbridge and find a path 
to the left to join our former walk above the middle fall. It is 
worth while also following the stream downwards from the bridge, 
where it makes a series of notable cataracts and beautiful pic- 
tures in its scarped ravine. For this we take a path trending to 
the right before (coming from the village) we reach the bridge. 
The path, in a wood, joins the line of an old road skirting the 
ravine and running to the Maentwrog road at a bridge over the 
stream; but there is, or was, a little way below the footbridge, 
one dirty place where thick boots were almost indispensable. 

Another fine fall in this district of waterfalls is Rhaiadr 
Cwm, which can be seen by walking or driving about three 
miles along the Bala road. The fall is visible from the road, 
but three miles and a half from Festiniog a track (mentioned 
below) descends to the ravine. Bont Newydd, also men- 
tioned below, can be reached by road direct in a mile and 
a half by turning to the right beyond the railway on the Bala 
road ; but the walk to the other falls can be combined with 
this. A path which should lead from the third fall to Bont 
Newydd is now obstructed. It is possible, however — but 
beware of bogs after rain — to turn up to the right on the 
Festiniog side of the railway bridge, and to reach a road 
which crosses the line and runs to Bont Newydd (about half 
a mile). Crossing the Bont, take a turn to the right and 
follow the road which keeps nearest to the stream, passing 
to the right of Bryn Cyfergyd, mentioned below. In about 
1J mile a farm (Cwm Cynfael) is passed, and now you are 
near the fine fall of Rhaiadr Cwm, where the Cynfael, 
after flowing through the moorland, plunges headlong into a 
deep glen, with extremely steep and, in some places, precipi- 
tous sides. The gorge is worth closer attention, and extends 
for a considerable distance ; but our track continues up to 
the left, to the Bala road, .at a point 3£ miles from Fes- 
tiniog, and half a mile from Pont-ar-Afon-Gam, where the 
Penmachno road joins it. Llyn Dubach is on the Pen- 
machno road, half a mile from the junction. Setting our 
face towards Festiniog, we soon have, a little distance to our 
right, Llyn-y-marwynion, into which, according to the tradi- 
tion, the maidens rushed after the defeat of the Men of Ar- 
dudwy ; and in two miles we pass the " Graves of the Men of 
Ardudwy," Beddau Gw$r Ardudwy {l\ m. from Festiniog), 
where a lane comes up from Bont Newydd, and an old 
Roman road, Sarn Elen, runs on towards Dolwyddelan. 
This road passes through the site of the graves, which, some 
say, are those of Roman soldiers. The graves are, or rather 
were- for scarcely a trace of them is left — a quarter of a 



1&) FfcSTlSlOG. The Maidens 9 Lake. 

mile (north) from the highway, and consisted of upright 

stones sticking in the turf. 

By these two places and their names hang more than one tale. 
The older legend about Llyn-y-morwynion will be found below. The 
local folk-tale was that the Men of Ardudwy made a foray into the 
far Vale of Clwyd, and bore away thence a number of women, as 
the Romans ravished the Sabines. When they had reached these 
parts, they were overtaken by their enraged Clwydian pursuers 
and all slain; whereupon their fair prey— so dear had their cap- 
tors become— rather than survive them, flung themselves with 
one accord into the deep waters of the pool, since called after 
them "the Maidens' Lake." The Men of Ardudwy were buried 
hard by. There is another Llyn-y-morwynion in Ardudwy, left of 
the steps ascending to Bwlch Tyddiad (p. 96). 

The pedestrian might take this route to Dolwyddelan (7 
m.)> passing along Cwm Penamnen. On the hill above the 
graves are the ruins of Bryn-y-castell. This is probably the 
site of the " Court (or Palace) on the mountain," to which 
Blodeuwedd and her maidens are said to have been flying 
from Tomen-y-mur, when the maidens fell into .Llyn-y- 
morwynion, as is told below. The mediaeval castle here, of 
which some fragments remain, was called Cynfael Castle. 
A mile to the north-east of it lie Idyniau-y-gamalU, reached 
by a beautiful walk. 

Along the Bala road a walk of ten miles leads from Festiniog to 
Rhyd-y-fen for the ascent of Arenig (but we can reach Arenig sta- 
tion by rail). We catch fine glimpses of the Snowdonian moun- 
tains on the left, and the Dofgelley ranges on the right, and if 
the scenery for the most part is bleak, the air on this very high 
road is invigorating. The inn at Rhyd-y-fen lies between Arenig 
Fach (north) and Arenig Fawr (2,800 feet). It is 9 miles further 
to Bala by the customary way, but walkers may like to take the 
road between Arenig and Mynydd Nodol, which passes Arenig 
station, and can easily be found. 

The distance from Festiniog to Maeniwrog down the valley 
is 2f m., and it is about 4 m. to Tan-y-bwlch Station, from 
which the return journey could be made by train. It is a 
walk of about 3 miles from Festiniog to Tan-y~gruiau, pass- 
ing (by the road-side) a small fall at Ty'n-y-cefn. 

To Tomen-y-mGr. 

For antiquaries Tomen-y-mur will be the chief attraction. 
We may go to Maentwrog Road Station (2 m.), to reach it 
by the shortest walk (1\ mile), but it is only a walk of three 
miles from Festiniog, across the bridge above Hugh Lloyd's 
Pulpit (see page 118), and by a path up the hill, passing to 
the left of a farm, under the railway, across the high road, 
and straight on for the ruins of a building, near which the 
ridge is crossed ; and Tomen-y-mur, seen below, is reached 
by passing a farm, and there taking a roadway which runs 



7Wen*y-mdr. FE8TINIOG. 121 

close to the remains of an amphitheatre ; hut for these re- 
mains we must look carefully, as they may easily be missed. 
It is also worth while looking at the remains of the Roman 
roads which meet here. If we go to Maentwrog Road Station 
by rail, to save a detour by the high road we shall perhaps 
be allowed to walk, after the train has gone, by the right 
of the rails towards Trawsfynydd, to the farthest telegraph 
post seen from the station, and there, having crossed one 
road, descend to another, which passes under the line, and 
keep on by that road until the mound is seen on the 
right, and we find a path running up to it near a house. 
There is a peep into Snowdonia, a fine view of the Bhinog 
range, Cader Idris, and the Moelwyns, and an outlook over 
the sea to Bardsey Island ; and if we want to find the amphi- 
theatre, it is seen by looking (N.E.) between the little neigh- 
bouring farm and its out-buildings. The rough road to the 
south leads to Trawsfynydd (2 m.). In about half a mile it 
passes to the other side of the railway, then runs parallel 
with it for another half mile, and bends to the right to the 
highway, which is joined about a quarter of a mile from the 
village. But to reach Trawsfynydd station, the pedestrian 
should leave the road when it bends to the right, and make 
his way near the line to the station. 

Tomen-y-mQr (the Mound of the Wall) Is taken from the older 
Welsh name of the place, Mur Cast ell. It was an Important 
Roman station, but its Roman name Is unknown; the Roman 
name usually given, Heriri Mont, being one of the inventions of 
the Itinerary of Richard of Cirenceti&r, now known to be a forgery 
of the 18th century. The name was taken from a passage of 
Nennius, where the "montes Heriri," i.e., the Mountains of JBryri 
(the Welsh for Snowdonia) are mentioned apropos of the legend 
of Dinas Emrys. The "Castell" of Tomen-y-mur is of oblong form, 
500 feet by nearly 350. The large mound gives the place its modern 
name, but it cannot be said whether the Romans raised it or 
found it there. The amphitheatre is surrounded by a low mound 
of earth. Hence radiate several Roman roads, one (traditionally as- 
cribed to Elen, wife of the Emperor Maximus), Sarn Elen, running 
towards Dolgelley, south, and Dolwyddelan, north, another towards 
Maentwrog, and a third towards Mediolanum, probably Clawdd 
C6ch, near Llan-y-mynech. "Mur Castell" was the furthest point 
reached by Henry I. in his advance into Wales in 1114. It is also 
interesting as having been, according to the Mabinogion legends, 
the chief seat of the princes of Ardudwy and Eiflonydd, and the 
centre of the interesting episode of Lieu Llaw-gyffes and Goronwy 
Befr (the Fair) of Penllyn, whose castle was close to Bala (see p. 151). 
How Goronwy lay "in ambush on the hill now called Bryn Cyfer- 
gyr, on the bank of the Cynfael," and there treacherously woun- 
ded Lieu with the poisoned dart, and annexed his lands and his 
wife Blodeuwedd; how Lieu finally got his revenge and slew 
Goronwy on the same spot with a spear that pierced him mor- 
tally, through a protecting slab of stone (USeh); how Blodeuwedd 
and her maidens then fled from Tomen-y-mur across the Cynfael, 



122 FESTINIOG. Moclwyn. 

and the maidens, through looking back after their pursuers, In- 
stead of forwards towards the lake they were approaching, fell 
Into and were drowned In that lake, thence called after them. 
Llyn-y-morwynion, or the Maidens' Lake, will be all found related 
In the tale of Math ap Mathonwy. Above Bont Newydd on the 
Cynfael, there stood, till about 100 years ago, a stone, called 
Llech Goronwy, with a hole through its middle to witness if the 
story lied; and we have mentioned the hill hard by, which, or a 
house on it, is called Bryn Cyfergyd, "the Hill of the Two Shots,'* 
on the ordnance map; ergyd being the modern Welsh for ergyr, a 
shot. 

Moelwyn and Manod. 

Festiniog is convenient for making the ascent of Moel- 
wyn (2,527 feet), the highest point of the range which rises 
on the other side of the valley (N.W.) from Festiniog. Tan-y- 
grisiau station is our starting place, and then we are already 
so far above the sea that the height to be climbed is less than 
2,000 feet. From the station we shall be allowed to walk 
about 250 yards along the railway towards Portmadoc, and 
then, through a gate, a path leads up to Llyn Trwstyllon, 
from which a little stream descends near our path. At the 
lake turn right, and the way to the summit is clear. 

A nearer height, also worth scaling, is Manod Mawr. 
Standing in Manod station (on the line to Blaenau), and look- 
ins over the hotel in the village, an out-building is seen on the 
hill. By this out-building the way lies. When the hotel is 
reached, turn left (facing it). In twelve or fourteen minutes 
pass through a gate just before a house is reached ; here 
turn left and keep up the hill-side (passing the out-building) 
until you see a lake, Llyn-y -manod, between Manod Bach, 
the mountain whose slopes you are climbing, and Manod 
Mawr to the right ; a path runs up to a road on the right of 
the lake ; follow the road until you are in sight of the upper 
quarry, then keep up the hill-side to a green road, and when 
you are near the upper part of the quarry turn up the 
mountain and bear to the right for the cairn (2,166 feet). 
The view includes Snowdon, the Glyders, Tryfan, Carnedd 
Llewelyn range, the Rhinog range, Arenig, the Arans, Cader 
Idris, the Vale of Festiniog, and the sea. It is a walk of 
about three miles (S.W.) from here to Festiniog. 

Over the Hills to Beddgelert. 

For a longer excursion, there is a walk over the hills to Bedd- 
gelert, starting from Tan-y grisiau station. Walk a little way along 
the line towards Blaenau, then cross a ladder stile on the left 
and reach a road running up hill, past slate works, and by the 
side of a stream which falls in a succession of pretty little cas- 
cades. This stream will be your guide to Cwm Orthin lake. At 
the further end of the lake, the way bends to t^e left, and as- 



To Bala. FBSTINIOG. 128 

cends by heapB of slates to some slate works, where it Is best, 
perhaps, to keep along a tramway until you look down into a 
valley in front, Cwm Croetor (between the mountains of Moelwyn 
and Cnicht), and see a path on the left running down the hill. 
Follow this path, passing after a while to the left of some houses; 
near the bottom of the slope bear down towards a group of houses 
on the right, and reach a rough road near the hamlet of Croesor, 
about five miles from Tan-y-grislau, and the same from Bedd- 
gelert. Turn to the right along the road past a chapel, and keep 
on. The road becomes a mere track, through wild, hilly scenery, 
with many ups and downs, but presently there Is a charming 
peep into a wooded Tale, to which the road descends, and crosses 
the way to Nanmor. Now we have a pleasant shady walk of about 
a mile to the highway, and then, turning right, reach Pont Ab«r- 
fflaalyn in a few minutes (1} m. from Beddgelert). It Is an easy 
walk from Tan-y-grisiau, but the views are not extensive. 

Festlnlog- to Bala. 

The line to Bala passes through some wild scenery, and 
affords facilities for several pleasant excursions. Soon after 
leaving Festiniog the train passes over the glen of the Cyn- 
fael, in which the tails lie. Maentwrog Road (2 m. from 
Maentwrog village), as we have said, is the station for 
Tomen-y-mur. From here also the Fdenryd Falls (Bhaiadr 
Du and Raven) may be reached in about 2^ miles, by fol- 
lowing the road towards Maentwrog (left from the station, 
and soon right), and turning to the left at a bridge where a 
private road runs to the right. In another ten minutes turn 
to the right, by a high wall, and in five minutes to the left. 
Follow this road until, a few minutes past a cottage, a path 
runs down to a trackway below, and you see the door in the 
wall mentioned on page 116. As the train runs on to Traws- 
fynydd, Tomen-y-mur is seen on the left. 

From Tra%c»fynydd ttation (5 m.), distant about a quarter of an 
hour's walk from the village, antiquaries can most easily reach 
the Bedd Porius stone. After crossing the little river Prysor be- 
yond Trawsfynydd village on the Dolgelley road, turn to the left 
by a mountain way, which runs almost parallel with the high 
road, and is described on pp. 87, 88 (which see also for two well* 
known waterfalls now marred by the mining works). The dis- 
tance from Trawsfynydd village to Bedd Porius is about 3J m., 
and to the Falls about 64 m. Then there is a mountain road 
fTom Trawsfynydd to Harlech (10 m.), and mountaineers can 
also reach Cwm Bychan in nine miles through Bwlch Tyddiad, 
and Pen-sarn station on the Cambrian In about 15}, or through 
Drws Ardudwy in about 17. 

Leaving Trawsfynydd, the view is first down the valley to 
Cader Idris, with the Rhinog range on the right ; but soon 
the train runs up Cwm Prysor, and passes another Roman 
station, Castell Prysor, a mound to the right of the railway. 
The line is cut out of the steep slopes of the hill, and runs 
high above the bottom oi the valley. Arenia station (situate 



124 DEE TO SEA. Chester. 

at Rhyd-y-fen) is the starting point for the ascent of Arenig. 
For the rest of the way the line runs through milder scenery, 
by the pleasant banks of the Tryweryn. [See Bala section 
for the ascent of Arenig, and a description of the railway]. 



FROM DEE TO SEA BY GREAT WESTERN. 



(Ebester to Xlaiigollen. 

Of Chester we shall say a few words in our second part, 
and will here only note that it is a city which everybody 
should visit, for its quaint " Rows," its Walls, its Old 
Houses, its Roman Antiquities, and its Cathedral. Tram 
cars run from the station to the approach to the Walls, the 
Rows, and the Cathedral, in five minutes. 

The Great Western train for Wrexham passes through and 
under the city, and when the houses and walls are left be- 
hind the Racecourse (the Roodee) is on the left, and the Dee 
is crossed by a fine bridge. " Deva's wizard stream " has 
pretensions greater than most rivers have. To the poets, 
from Spenser to Tennyson, it has not been an ordinary 
watercourse, and during our journey we shall find its banks 
pleasant to travel upon. At Saltney we leave the river, to 
see it again in the Yale of Llangollen, and follow it up to 
Bala Lake. Beyond Saltney, a sharp look-out to the right in 
fine weather and the proper light will enable the traveller 
to see the ruins of Hawarden Castle in the woods, but the 
house in which Mr. Gladstone lived (a more modern build- 
ing of the same name, near the old castle) is not in view. 
A little further, on the same side, tower-marked Moel Fam- 
mau rises over the intervening hills. Rossett station is 
about four miles from the scanty remains of Caergwrle 
Castle ; and when Gresford is reached the line is passing 
through a pretty valley, where we might do worse than get 
oux of the train and spend a summer day. If we fish, the 
Alyn offers sport; if we are mere sight-seers, there are 
objects of attraction in and about Gresford, including a 
number of monuments in the fine Perpendicular church, 
venerable yews in the churchyard, an ancient camp, and a 
" petrifying spring." The church which we have mentioned 
cannot be seen from the line, nor can the bells, one of the 
Seven Wonders of Wales, be hear^ 



Epitaph*. WREXHAM. 125 

The "Seven Wonders o! Wales" are the Steeple of Wrexham 
Church, Llangollen Bridge, St. Winefride's Well, Overton Church- 
yard, Gresford Bells, Pistyll Rhaiadr Waterfall, and Snowdon. No 
one, as far as we know, can trace the origin of the phrase, and 
why some of the seven are called wonders is itself a wonder. 

And now we come in sight of one of the " Seven Wonders." 
Wrexham Steeple is said by some to be a wonder because it 
rocks in windy weather, and by others because it is the 
finest Gothic erection in Wales, if not in Great Britain ! 
On the other hand, there are those who say that it never 
rocks ai all, and that it is overrated as a piece of architec- 
ture. But Mr. Palmer is doubtless right in his " History of 
the Parish Church of Wrexham," when he speaks of " the ex- 
cellence of its design, its effectiveness, its beauty," and 
" the skill with which it has been made to dignify and invest 
with interest a plain church, and form a whole which is ex- 
ceedingly impressive." Begun in 1506, it was not completed 
for several years. In height it is 136 feet. 

Wrexham, the largest town in North Wales, had a 

population of 14,966 in 1901, and is fast increasing. In the 

church and churchyard much will be found to interest the 

traveller, notably an armoured effigy of the 14th century, the 

effigy of Bishop Bellot (almost unique), a monument to Miss 

Mary Myddelton, by Roubilliac, and a very remarkable one 

at the east end of the south aisle, to Sir Bichard Lloyd, 

Governor of Holt Castle for King. Charles I. Amongst the 

epitaphs is one often quoted (on the wall at the west end of 

the nave) : — 

Here lies Interr'd beneath these stones 
The beard, ye flesh, and eke ye bones 
Of Wrexham Clerk, old Pan lei Jones. 

In the churchyard, west of the tower, is buried " Eliugh 
Yale " (son of one of the Pilgrim Fathers), after whom Yale 
College in the United States is named. His tombstone, 
which was restored in 1874 by the authorities of the College, 
. has an inscription beginning : — 

Born In America, In Europe bred, In Africa travelled, in Asia 
Where long he liv'd and thriv'd, in London Dead, [wed 

Much good some ill he did, so hope all's even 
And that his soul through mercy's gone to heaven. 

The bells are said to be so sweet in tone that "tourists 
have been known to pay for the gratification of hearing 
them ring," and the " organs at Rixum " of yore have been 
so famous as to be mentioned by Beaumont* and Fletcher. 
It was at the Old Vicarage (which has now been demolished) 
that Heber, when on a visit to his father-in-law, Dean Ship- 



126 WREXHAM. Ofa's Drjk*. 



ley, vicar of the parish, wrote the famous hymn, " From 
Greenland's Icy Mountains." 

Wrexham is the terminus of a railway which runs to Mold and 
Denbigh, and the first section of it forms part ot the Cheshire Lines, 
but the description of this railway belongs to our second part. 
Another line runs direct to Mold, through Brymbo, Ffrith 
(where the pretty valley of Nant-y-ffrith ts»crossed), and Llanfyn- 
ydd. Wrexham is also the terminus of the Wrexham and Elles- 
mere Railway, which is worked as a branch of the Cambrian. The 
line runs through the detached portion of Flintshire, English 
Maelor, and brings the pretty country about the Dee (which it 
crosses at Bangor) in that part of its course within easy reach of 
the traveller. There are stations for March wiel, Bangor Is-y-coed, 
where existed, in the 6th and 7th centuries, the celebrated monas- 
tery described by the Venerable Bede, and Overton (about 1 m. 
from the station), near which are some beautiful scenes on the 
Dee. Overton Churchyard, as we have said, is another of " the 
Seven Wonders of Wales." 

Before we leave Wrexham, two notable houses may be 
mentioned — Acton, the residence of Sir Robert Cunliffe, 
Bart., a mile north of the town, where the infamous Judge 
Jeffreys was born; and Erddig, the seat of the Yorkes, a 
mile and a half to the south, where the author of a well- 
known book, Yorke's Royal Tribes of Wales, lived. Holt, a 
place of some fame in old days, is six miles from Wrexham. 

From Wrexham to Ruabon the Great Western Railway runs along 
the strip of country between Watt's and Ofla's Dykes. Ofla's Dyke, 
according to Asser, was constructed in the latter half of the 
eighth century, by Ofla, King of Mercia, as a line of demarcation. 
It began on the north coast, near Prestatyn, traversed the counties 
of Flint, Denbigh, Salop, Montgomery, Radnor, and Hereford, and 
ended on the Wye at Bridge Sollers, seven miles west of Hereford. 
From that point the Wye seems to have formed Ofla's line of 
boundary down to Tintern, opposite which, on the Gloucestershire 
side, a line of dyke, usually called Ofla's Dyke, begins above the 
cliffs and is to be traced to the banks of the Severn estuary in 
Sedbury Park. (Hence Asser' s somewhat Inexact statement that 
Ofla made the dyke " from sea to sea " : Asser, who died in 906, 
wrote about a hundred years after Ofla's death, and is the only 
early authority who mentions Ofla's Dyke). Much of its course is 
In the same direction as Watt's Dyke, and at times they are not 
more than a quarter of a mile apart. Watt's Dyke, the history of 
which is obscure, begins near Oswestry, and is to be seen above 
the railway station there, and has been said to terminate at the 
Dee, below Basingwerk Abbey, near Holywell, but the statement 
has been called in question. From the former town its course lies 
near Old Oswestry; and at Gobowen, on the Great Western, be- 
tween Wrexham and Shrewsbury, it Is known as the Devil's Dyke. 

We next reach Ruabon, notable for its coals ; the name 
is softened from the Welsh Rhiw Fabon, i.e., Mabon's 
Slope. The church is worth visiting, if only for its monu- 
ments, one of the first Sir Watkin by Rysbrach, and a beauti- 
ful one to the memory of La4y Henrietta Williams Wynn ; 



Wynnstay. BUABON. 127 

but the chief attraction of Ruabon is Wynnstay, the ances- 
tral residence of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn. The old name 
of the house was Wattstay ; this occurs in 1620, and was 
changed to Wynnstay by the first Wynn who came into 
possession, Sir John Wynn, who died in January 1718-9. 
He left the estate to his kinsman, the grandson of Sir Wil- 
liam Williams, the clever but not over-particular lawyer who 
prosecuted the seven bishops in the reign of James 11. 
u This celebrated barrister, Speaker in the House of Com- 
mons in the reign of Charles II., married the daughter and 
heiress of Watkin Kyffin, Esq., of Glascoed, near Oswestry." 
Thus we have the names of "Watkin," "Williams," and 
"Wynn," accounted for in the family. 

The entrance gates of Wynnstay Park lie close to the 
village, and all respectable visitors are admitted, but if there 
is any difficulty the park can be entered by a public way 
about a mile further along the road. The prettiest walk is 
that turning to the right, just as we enter the park from the 
Ruabon lodge-gates, and leading by the Bath Grounds to the 
house (a new one, built after a fire had destroyed the old 
building in 1858), and then to Nant-y-belan Tower, which is 
about one mile S.S.W., from the house. There the view in- 
cludes almost the whole of the Yale of Llangollen, with the 
Great Western viaduct in the foreground. If from here we 
make our way to the Waterloo Tower (N.W.), we shall find 
ourselves in the neighbourhood of Cefn station, on the Great 
Western Railway. In the park there are some magnificent 
oaks, one called " The King," measuring thirty-six feet in 
circumference. Wynnstay is about 1| m. from Ruabon 
station, and the walk described to Cefn station is about four 
miles. 

Those tourists who have reached Ruabon from Shrewsbury trav- 
elled along. an almost level country until they came nearly to 
Chirk, where they were suddenly delighted by the pretty little 
valley of the Celrlog, spanned by a viaduct eight hundred and fifty 
feet in length and a hundred feet high. The next valley, of the 
Bee, was a more formidable one to bridge over, and it is said that 
George Stephenson proclaimed It Impracticable, but the late Mr. 
Henry Robertson undertook to accomplish it. The length of 
Llangollen Viaduct, as It is often called, though it is about five 
miles from the town, is 1,531 feet, its height is 148 feet, the number 
of arches nineteen, and the span of each 60 feet. It occupied in 
its construction about two years and six months, and cost £72,346. 

And now (having changed carriages if we came by the 
main line), starting from Ruabon junction for Llangollen, we 
shall travel through the famous Yale of Llangollen. We 
soon leave the main line, and, looking backwards, to the left, 
we see the Waterloo Tower of Wynnstay Park ; and the first 



128 LLANGOLLEN. Excursion*. 

station we reach is Acre fair, with the mining town of Cefn 
covering the hill close by on the left. At the next station, 
Trevor, there is a fine view up and down the valley. Robert- 
son's viaduct spans the vale to the east, and Telford's aque- 
duct, carrying the canal across it, is below us. 

The Pont-y-cyeeylltau Aqueduct deserves notice, for it is a 
beautiful feature in the landscape as well as a wonderful piece of 
engineering. According to Smiles's Lives of the Engineers, " the 
foundation stone was laid the 25th of July, 1795, by Richard Myd- 
delton, Esq., of Chirk Castle, M.P., and the work was not finished 
until the year 1803, thus occupying a period of nearly eight years 
in construction." Mr. Smiles gives some interesting particulars 
respecting this erection in his Life of Telford. The aqueduct con- 
sists of nineteen arches extending to the length of 1,007 feet. The 
height of the piers above low water is 121 feet. The total cost 
was £47,018. Cyssylltau means the Junctions or Connections. 

Soon after we leave Trevor station we get a peep at Trevor 
Hall (a large red brick house) on the side of the hill to our 
right, from which place sprang the historic family of Trevor. 
Before we reach Llangollen, Cast ell Dittos Brdn (right), with 
the Eglwyseg Bocks to the right of it, will attract our atten- 
tion, and as we approach the station we run under a new 
arch of Llangollen Bridge (built in the 14th century), an- 
other of the Wonders of Wales, and said by some to be so 
called because it was the first stone bridge in Wales. 



Xlanoollen. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— {In each case we give the shortest walking way 
as described in the following pages].— Valle Crucis, 1J m. 
Bwlch Rhiw Felen, 4J (for view of Snowdonia and sea), Sum 
mit of Cyrn-y -brain, about 2} houre, Ruthin, 13 m., Llanty 
silio Church, 2, Fron Fawr, 2J, World's End, 5 m., Berwyn 
1% m., Glyn-dyfrdwy, 5J (by the other side of the river, 7J) 
Corwen, 10, Bala, 22, Pont-y-cyssylltau Aqueduct, 4, Chirk 
Castle, nearly 5, Chirk, 6 (rail for return), Glyn, 3J, and 
Pont-fadog, 3 (from both rail for return), Pont-y-meibion, 5J, 
Summit of Castell Dinas Bran, i hour, Geraint (Barber's 
Hill), i hour, Eglwyseg Rocks, 2 m., Moel-y-gameiin, 4— 5 
m., or from Llangollen and back to Berwyn, 3i hours. 
[Canal boat runs to Berwyn, Ac.]. 

By flail.— Berwyn, 2 (for Llanty silio Church, i m., Moel-y- 
gamelin, 3$ m., Valle Crucis Abbey, 1 m.), Glyn-dyfrdwy, 6 
(for lovely valley— the road between here and Llangollen 
should be walked; ascent of Moel Fferna, 1} hour, and of 
Moel Forty dd), Corwen, 10 m., Bala, 22, Dolgelley, 39, Bar- 
mouth, 49, Ruthin, 23, Denbigh, 29, Rhyl, 40, Trevor, 4 (for 
aqueduct), Ruabon, 6 (for Wynnstay), Chirk, 11 (for Castle, 
1J m.), Wrexham, 11, Chester, 23. [Any considerable dis- 
tance over a mile is treated as a whole milel. 



The Ladxe*. LLANGOLLEN. 129 

LLANGOLLEN, which has a church (dedicated to St. 
Collen) of some interest to the antiquary, but chiefly 
modern, is the centre of numberless delightful walks and ex- 
cursions, and the more you know it the better you will like 
it. The town (which is 270 feet above the sea, and has a 
population of 3,304) lies between the curious Eglwyseg Rocks 
on the north and an extension of the Berwyn range on the 
south. The conical hill crowned by Castell Dinas Bran 
stands in front of the Eglwyseg Rocks, and another hill, 
Pen-y-coed, rises almost opposite Dinas Bran, in front of the 
Berwyns. These, with Moel-y-geraint (Barber's Hill), on the 
west, are the prominent features of the vale. Llangollen is 
a puzzle for visitors in the matter of pronunciation, but if 
they say T'hlangotMen they will not be very far wrong. 

There are comfortable lodgings in the town and neigh- 
bourhood, and excellent hotel accommodation, the two prin- 
cipal houses being the well-known Hand and the old King's 
Head, now "The Royal," for its name was changed after the 
Princess Victoria halted there when Her Royal Highness 
made a tour in Wales with the Duchess of Kent in 1832. 
In old days the Holyhead mail changed horses at the " King's 
Head," and on one occasion, whilst waiting, Daniel O'Con- 
nell wrote the following in the Visitors' Book : — 

I remember this village with very bad cheer, 
Ere the Ladles, Ood bless them, set this Inn here; 
But now the traveller Is sure of good fare, 
Let him stay at this Inn or go to that ere, 
But all who can read will sure understand 
How vastly superior the head' 3 to the hand. 

From this it would appear that Miss Ponsonby and Lady 
Eleanor Butler founded the Royal. The water supply of the 
town is brought from the hills. 

First of all we must give place to the Ladies, whom we 
have just mentioned. PI3.S Newydd, where they lived, 
is reached from the station by passing over the bridge, keep- 
ing straight on to the Holyhead road, turning left for a few 
yards, and then up a steep road, from which, where an- 
other road joins it, a path to the left leads to the house. 

The Ladies of Llangollen were two queer old souls who, when 
they were young, vowed, as violently attached ladies do vow. for 
celibacy and a cottage, only with this difference— they fulfilled 
their vows. They were Irish, and they fled from matrimony as 
from a pestilence, and found in Llangollen a haven of rest, where, 
for more than half a century, they lived, and where their remains 
now repose under a tombstone in the churchyard, near the church 
door. Their names were Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Ponsonby. 
and Mathews the Elder thus describes them as they first burst on 
his astonished vision in the Oswestry Theatre, which is now, by 
t^e way. a m.aJ,thouse. "Oil* such curiosities 1 1 was nearly con- 



130 LLANGOLLEN. Dinas Brdn, 

vulsed. I could scarcely get on for the first ten minutes after my 
eye caught them. As they are seated, there is not one point to 
distinguish them from men; the dressing and powdering of the 
hair; their well starched neck-cloths ; the upper part of their 
habits, which they always wear even at a dinner party, made pre- 
cisely like men's coats; and regular beaver black hats. They 
looked exactly like two respectable superannuated old clergy- 
men." The Ladies received many distinguished visitors at Pl&s 
Newydd, and it is said that on a second visit they were all ex- 
pected to bring a present of carved oak! The Duke of Wellington 
was here in 1814 ; and Wordsworth, who called in his tour through 
North Wales in 1824, composed a poem in the grounds, in which 
he called the house a " low-roofed cot," greatly to the annoyance 
of the Ladies, who declared they could have written better poetry 
themselves! But most people would have been proud to be ad- 
dressed by one of the greatest modern poets- 
Faithful to a low-roofed cot, # 
On Deva's banks ye have abode so long, 
Sisters in love, a love allowed to climb, 
Even on this earth, above the reach of time. 

Amongst other visitors were Madame de Genlis, with the young 
Mademoiselle D*Orl6ans, in 1791, and Sir Walter Scott in 1825. 
Lady Eleanor Butler died in 1829, at the age of 90, Miss Ponsonby 
two years after, at the age of 76, and when in 1832 the contents of 
Plas Newydd were sold, a famous man of another kind, George 
Bobbins, brought them to the hammer, and characteristically 
described one part of the grounds as a " Wooded knoll, which 
overhangs a deep and hallowed glen." We have taken most of 
these interesting facts from a useful little hand-book written by 
the late General Yorke, the owner of the house, which he en- 
larged. The old cottage is the part on the right, as you face the 
structure. The cottage still contains some curiosities connected 
with the Ladies, and admission can sometimes be obtained. 

Castell Dlnas Bran and Valle Crucls Abbey. 

"Crow Castle," as English visitors call it, Castoll 
Dinas Brd.n y as it should be called, is the great attrac- 
tion of Llangollen. The Castle is 1,062 feet above the sea. 
Go a few yards along the Ruabon road from the station, and 
then turn up a steep road which crosses a Canal Bridge ; then 
by a footpath which faces you, and as straight as you can go 
until the higher slopes of the hill are reached, when there is 
a path to the scanty ruins on the summit. It is half an hour's 
quick walking, and a stiff climb ; and those who prefer to 
ascend on donkeys will probably find them at a stand near 
the station. The descent can be made on the other side, 
where a road may be followed back to the town. 

Dinas Brdn means the hill-fort of Brdn, which in Welsh is both 
a man's name and the common generic word for a crow — whence, 
of course, the English name of Crow Castle. Bran is also a com- 
mon brook -name over much of South Wales, and Pennant suggests 
that the name of the castle may come "from the mountain river 
BT&n, that runs down its side." Evidently a still older name 



YaUe Crucis. LLANGOLLEN. 131 

for the hill-fort was Din Brdn, which survives, slightly varied, in 
the name of the neighbouring house of Dinbren, anciently spelt 
mnbretn (from brain, crows). It may be noted that there is another 
fort called Dinas Bran, S.E. of Newcastle Emlyn, but here the 
name undoubtedly comes from a brook called Bran that washes its 
flanks. There were real persons named Bran in historical times, but 
" Bran the Blessed " (a noted character in the Mdbinogion, whom 
we have mentioned under Harlech), son of Llyr (a name Anglicized 
Lear), is sometimes supposed to be the personage who gave his 
name to Dlnas Bran. And certainly members of his family were con- 
nected by tradition with this part of Wales, the place still known 
as Saith Marchog, or "Seven Knights," in Gwyddelwern parish, 
being so called— the Mdbinogion tell us, though Lady C. Guest, who 
mistranslates the passage, does not— because of the seven men 
whom Bran left in Edeyrnion to look after Britain during his ex- 
pedition to Ireland. The chief of these was his son Caradoc, who 
died (like Ms aunt Branwen) of a broken heart after seeing his 
six companions slain by Caswallon ap Beli (the personage evolved 
by Welsh legend out of Caesar's Cassivelaunus), who by enchant- 
ment had made himself invisible, so that his victims could only 
see the sword that slew them, not the man. 

In the thirteenth century the castle was the residence of Gruff- 
ydd ap Madog, of Maelor, son of Madog ap Gruffydd, of Maelor, the 
founder of Valle Crucis Abbey, where both father and son were 
buried. These were the days when the Princes of Wales were 
struggling with the Kings of England, and the family of Maelor 
(the possessors of Welsh Maelor, alias Bromneld, Ial or Yale, the 
district In which Valle Crucis Abbey is situate, and Nanheudwy, a 
district Including Chirk and Llangollen parishes) for some time 
assisted the enemy, but afterwards submitted to Llewelyn. The 
castle passed into the hands of several families in succession, the 
Mowbrays, the Fitz-Alans, and others, and, finally, as part of the 
lordship of Chirk, came into the possession of the Myddeltons of 
Chirk Castle. The time of its destruction is unknown, but Leland, 
in the middle of the 16th century, speaks of it as demolished. At 
the castle lived the Lady of Llangollen, par- excellence, the famed 
Myfanwy Fechan, who was loved by a poet; but she was noble, 
he poor, and so he had only a poet's refuge— a melancholy ode. 
The original of " Jenny Jones," by the way, was a modern dairy- 
maid living at Pont Bleiddyn (near Mold), miles away from Llan- 
gollen, when Charles James Mathews wrote the well-known song, 
sung to the air of " Cader Idris," which had been composed by 
John Parry (Bardd Alaw), 

VaJle Crucis Abbey (admission 6d.) stands to the 
right of the Ruthin road (2 m.), but there is a pleaganter 
walk to it, partly by the canal side. Nearly opposite the 
station a narrow lane runs up to the canal, and you turn to 
the left along the towing-path, and join the Ruthin road 
at the next bridge but one. Soon after passing the first mile- 
stone from Llangollen, a cart track leads across a field in 
front of a cottage. Follow it a little way, then descend, cross 
a brook, and pass round to the front of the abbey. If 
the train is taken to Berwyn, the ruins will be reached in a 
mile from that station, by crossing the river, going along 
the canal (right) to the first bridge, and there immediately 
taking a footpath over the hill* or walking along the road at 



182 LLANGOLLEN. Elistg's Pillar. 

the base of the hill, and when the Ruthin road is joined 
turning to the left. 

" This venerable and interesting ruin is, as its name implies, 
situated in the ' Valley of the Cross,* a lovely and sequestered spot. 
It takes its name from a very ancient cross, probably the ' Pillar 
of Eliseg,' the remains of which stand in a neighbouring field; 
and as the abbey was built in 1200 by Madog, it must consequently 
have been amongst the earliest specimens of pure Gothic built in 
Britain." The foundation was endowed by Keyner, and the monks, 
clever fellows, not content with what was given them, afterwards 
by " hook " or by " crook "—that is, by the aid of coaxing or by 
the good offices of the Bishops— managed to get possession of the 
livings of Chirk, Buabon, and other places. They had a haul of 
the Dee Fisheries, too— was it not a "sacred stream?" — and of 
ploughed lands to the amount of three hundred acres ; a mill and 
" granges," dairy farms, and much cattle. Parts of the building, 
including the Chapter House and Dormitory, which had been con- 
verted to other uses, have been rescued from neglect, and are in 
a good state of preservation. In 1888 the custodian of the abbey, 
the Rev. H. T. Owen, discovered five sepulchral slabs in the floor 
at the south end of the monks' dormitory ; and excavations which 
have been made in recent years have brought fresh portions of 
the building to light, including the foundations of the porch and 
part of the pillars of the entrance gate. One of the slabs, with an 
inscription in which the name of Owinus Madoci appears, seems 
to belong to the first half of the 13th century, and Mr A. N. Palmer 
suggests that it may possibly be from the tomb of Owen Brogyn- 
tyn. Other inscribed stones of the 13th and 14th century may be 
seen in the ruins. In a pond behind the building part of the 
abbey is sometimes prettily reflected. 

The Pillar Of Eliseg- (or, as it ought to he called, of 
liSSO) is close to the second milestone just beyond the 
abbey (a footpath on the left as you face that building is the 
shortest way). " It remained erect until the civil wars, when 
some zealous soldiers of the Parliament threw it down, mis- 
taking it for a Popish cross." In the record of the founda- 
tion of the abbey by Madog, we read of " the Monastery of 
Llanegwistle (as Valle Crucis was at first called) near the 
Old Cross in Yale," and the question is, whether the Pillar 
and the Cross were the same. Mr. Bloxam and Professor 
Westwood believe the Pillar was never other than a column, 
but Mr. Palmer, who identifies it with the "Old Cross in 
Yale," asks why the head and arms may not have been 
knocked off; and the name of the field in which it lay was 
Llwyn-y-groes, or the Grove of the Cross. Mr. Bloxam 
thinks it was originally a Roman column, perhaps brought 
from Deva (Chester) or Uriconium. The pillar, once twelve, 
but now only eight feet high, was set up again after lying 
down for more than a century. 

«S e L ™, ln t Inscription on the pillar records that Concenn (in 
Ki^fl 11 5f l8 ? ^ I, 8 en > ? et "P *he pillar to his great-grandfather; 
*useg. xne last name is now pronounced and generally written 



&ert*yf». LLANGOLLEN. Itt 



tue, which stands for an older Fii m di . anciently written 
ized or £ZtMt; and it is believed the form Btue§ is a mistake In 
ading £Zt««e, which is one of the oldest ways of spelling the name, 
and t being very similar in the writing used on the stone. Cyngen 
) Cadell is well known as the last king of Powys of the old line, 
id to nave died at Some in 854; after his death the kingdom of 
owys passed through his sister Nest to her son, JKhodri Mawr, 
* the Great, King of Gwynedd, which comprised the rest of North 
'ales • This inscription is believed to be unique among monu- 
ents ol its class in giving, not only genealogical information of 
>me interest and value, but bits of real history in connection 
ith the li^es of Cyngen and Elisse. Much of this had unfortun- 
tely become illegible before the inscription was first copied 
tbout 250 years ago), but it clearly stated that it was Elisse who 
ecovered. Powys from its English conquerors, "winning it by 
word and. fire." Elisse must have nourished about 725—750. 
adell, his grandson, died in 806. 

To Berwyn and Llantysilio. 

We have mentioned the walk along the canal, and Berwyn 
tation. One of the most charming of the many lovely 
ambles from Llangollen is along the canal side past Berwyn 
o Llantysilio, and a visit to Valle Cruris Abbey could easily 
)e brought in. The train runs to Berwyn, or a " fly-boat n 
carries passengers along the canal, a pleasant and pretty 
ittle voyage. Pedestrians walk along the towing-path and 
in less than two miles the Chain Bridge Inn is reached, 
opposite Berwyn Station, a picturesque spot, sur- 
passed by few in Wales. Two or three minutes more, still 
along the towing-path, and the Parting of the Waters, an 
artificial horse-shoe fall, where the river Dee feeds the 
canal, is passed, and immediately beyond is Llantysilio 
Church) truly beautiful for situation. The house above 
the " Horse Shoe M is Bryn Tysilio, the Welsh residence of 
Sir Theodore Martin, the well-known author, and his late 
distinguished wife (Helen Faucit). 

From here the walk might be extended along the road which 
runs round the great bend of the Dee to Glyn-dyfrdwy station, 
about 7| miles this way from Llangollen ; or up the valley to tf Gel- 
ST -gamelln ; or across the hill on which Sir Theodore Martin's house 
stands (Moel-yr-Abbey) to Valle Crucis Abbey; and everywhere 
fresh beauty reveals Itself. The return to Llangollen from the inn 
can be accomplished by crossing the Chain Bridge and taking the 
high road (1% m.), or by turning up the hill by a very narrow lane 
just before a row of white cottages is reached, to another cottage, 
and, immediately beyond it, by a path up through a wood to a 
road on the slopes of Geraint. It is best, in taking the round, to 
start up this road from Llangollen, and return by the canal. Be- 
fer to the description of Barber's Hill. 

To Bwlch Rhiw Felen, Cyrn-y-braln, and 

Ruthin. 

The road past Valle Crucis leads to Ruthin (13 miles from 
Llangollen). About three miles from Llangollen the road 



134 LLANGOLLEN. View Point*. 

divides, and the right-hand branch is about a mile shorter, 
but the other, the driving way, is finer. In about four 
miles and a half by the former we reach Bwlcri Rhiw 
Felen } 1,299 feet above the sea, commanding an extensive 
view on a clear day. The Clwydian range, crowned by tower- 
marked Moel Fammau, seems close at hand ; there is a wide 
expanse of sea with the town of Rhyl in sight ; and, descend- 
ing the road a little way, we get a fine view on the left, seeing 
— in this order — Oarnedd Llewelyn and Dafydd, Elidyr Fawr 
(above Llanberis), the rocky pinnacle of Tryfan, the Glyders, 
Moel Siabod, and Snowdon. Such a view from a high road 
is seldom seen, and this excursion is well worth making. 
From the summit of the pass the hills on either side can be 
ascended without difficulty. To the right is Cyrn-y- 
brain (cairn, 1,839 feet, Sir Watkin's Tower, 1,843), not 
much of a climb, but an hour's walk from the road, by a green 
road which begins a few yards beyond a sign post : and the 
view ! Besides the sea and the summits just mentioned, 
Tal-y-fan (close to Penmaen-mawr) is seen, and, carrying the 
eye a good way to the left of Snowdon, a part of the Rhinog 
range (near Dolgelley), the Arans, Cader Fronwen, Corndon 
(near Montgomery), the Breidden (with Rodney's pillar), the 
Caradoc, the Wrekin ; and (north) the estuary of the Dee, 
the entrance to the Mersey, and the city of Liverpool. 

Along the green road mentioned above we might start for the 
World's End (see p. 136), and so make a fine round back to Llan- 
gollen. In about three quarters of a mile the road divides, and 
we take the right fork, running over the lower shoulder of Cyrn-y- 
braln, with fine views to the right all along. Soon the Eglwyseg 
Hocks come in view and our track runs on towards them and 
shortly comes to a house, immediately beyond which we turn to 
the right and then bear to the left, reaching a quarry cutting, to 
the right of which our way lies. A little further a green road is 
found. By this we descend the hill, taking the left branch when 
it forks, and after a while passing a house below the slate quar- 
ries. The green road runs down to a farm, Ty Canol, where we 
turn left on a driving road for Plas Ucha and the World's Bad, 
which are soon reached, or right for Llangollen (about 4 m.).. It 
is an easy hour's walk from Bwlch Rhiw Felen to Plas Ucha. 

On the other side of Bwlch Rhiw Felen, Moel-y-faen and 
Moel-y-gamelin beyond it could be reached with little trouble, 
and from Moel-y-gamelin the round might be completed by 
walking to Berwyn station (3£ m. from the summit). 

Keeping on the road to Ruthin from Bwlch Rhiw Felen, 
Tomen-y~rhodwy', said to have been a fortress of Owen 
Gwynedd's, is passed,about seven miles from Llangollen by the 
shorter route, a little beyond the junction of (and between) 
the new Ruthin road and the old, which is the right branch, 
and is over a mile shorter, but steeper. Tomen-y-rhodwy* is 



World's End. LLANGOLLEN. 185 

tautological, meaning the Tumulus of the Mound ; rkodwydd 
is supposed to mean what in Ireland and in Pembrokeshire 
is called a rath, fortified with "wood" {gwydd), i.e., an abattis 
or stockade. Just at this point a road to the right, from the 
old road, would take us in a mile and a half to Perthi 
Chwareu (about 8£ m. from Llangollen), a farm among the 
hills, where some of the most remarkable examples in Britain 
of caves, used (according to Mr. Boyd Dawkins) both for 
shelter and for burial by the neolithic peoples, have been 
found. Perthi Chwareu is about a mile from Llandegla, 
where there is a famous well associated in old times with 
various ceremonies performed for the cure of epilepsy. 

Moel-y-g-amelin. 

The ascent of Moel-y-gamelin (1,897 feet) can be begun near 
Vall£ Crucis Abbey by a tramway which crosses the road. Follow 
it in a north-westerly direction until you come to a steep incline, 
where a zig-zag leads up the hill-side. Arrived at the top of the 
incline, the best way is to keep on over the mountain to some 
slate quarries, and then climb to the cairn. In late summer, 
when the gorse and heather are in full bloom, the ramble is a par- 
ticularly delightful one. From the summit the panorama of moun- 
tains includes Snowdon and many of the heights seen from Cyrn- 
y-brain, and there is a beautiful view down the Vale of Clwyd to 
the sea. The walk can be pleasantly varied by proceeding over 
Moel-y-gaer (ancient entrenchments) and Moel Forfydd (1,804 feet) 
— Morfydd on the ordnance map— to Glyn-dyfrdwy station; or by 
descending into the valley to the south of Moel-y-gamelin, so 
reaching Berwyn station (3} miles) past Llantysilio Church. This 
shorter excursion may be accomplished in three hours and a half. 

The World's End and Eglwyseg* Rocks. 

A visit to the " World's End " (5 miles) is to be re- 
commended. Turn to the left after crossing the Canal 
Bridge, near the station, and follow the road, which bends 
to the right in about ten minutes* until a large white house 
(Dinbren Hall) is on the left, and there is a fine view of 
Dinas Bran. Here a footpath, which will cut off a corner, 
runs up, to the right, through a wood, crosses a lane, and 
presently runs down to a plank bridge, and so to the road 
again. A little further along the road (to the right) there 
is another short cut : where the road reaches the open moun- 
tain side, near a gate, an old road on the left leads to a foot- 
path, which joins the driving road again. [For these short 
cuts in returning, note that not long after passing a church, 
and at a point where the road bends to the left, a stile has to 
be crossed ; and for the second short cut, soon after passing 
a farm on the left a path on the left must be taken.] The 
road runs on to Plas Ucha, or Eglwyseg Manor House, a 
black and white building, from which several objects of in- 
terest, including a grant by the Protector Richard fhrom- 



196 LLANGOLLEN. Eglwyseg Socks. 

well, have been removed. Visitors, we believe, are usually 
allowed to enter the house. 

The house has an inscription recording that "Eglwyseg Manor" 
was inherited by the Princes of Powys from Bleddyn ap Cynvyn, 
King of North Wales, who was killed in 1073. On the right of the 
house a path, passing through a gate, crosses a stream, turns to 
the left along a pool, and continues up into a wood. By this path 
is soon reached a slab let into a rock, on which it is recorded that, 
according to local tradition, Owen, son of Cadogan, son of Bleddyn, 
led his men to war along this track, and that in 1116 he was slain, 
leading his men against seven to one. History tells that Owen 
carried away Nest, wife of Gerald de Windsor, steward of Pem- 
broke, and that it was in meeting Gerald in far south-west Wales 
that Owen was killed. 

The World's End is a short distance beyond the house, 
a mountain recess between the rocky heights of Craig-y- 
forwyn and Craig Aderyn. Here the Eglwyseg Bocks might 
be explored, or the mountain road continued to Miners 
(about 4 m. from here), which is about 4 m. from Wrexham, 
or the summit of Cyrn-y-brain (already mentioned) reached ; 
but the walks are endless, and a good map should be carried. 
The road to the World's End from Llangollen is picturesque 
and worth following for the first two or three miles by 
those who go no further ; and Fron Fawr, on the left, the 
hill which rises above Valle Crucis, could be climbed, by 
turning up a lane on the left, immediately after turning to 
the right beyond Dinbren lodge. Another beautiful walk or 
drive is along the Ruthin road (the shorter way, see pp. 133, 
134) to Pentre-dwr and there by a lane to the right, and 
along the right slope of a beautiful wooded hill to Plas-yn- 
Eglwyseg, and back by the road under the Eglwyseg Rocks. 

The Eglwyeeff Rocks can be explored to some extent in a 
carriage drive. The pedestrian should turn to the right when the 
Canal Bridge (often mentioned) is crossed, and the lane will lead 
him underneath the Bocks. [The same point might be reached by 
descending a footpath on the north-east from Castell Dinas Bran]. 
Here there is a choice of routes. Walking along the road to the 
right we can ascend by a zig-zag road ; or (without walking to the 
right) there is a path up to the tramway which runs along the 
face of the rocks. Walk warily to the left by the tramway — if 
blasting is going on the men will warn you, but look out- -until 
you reach a path running up by a fence, and so scale the hill. On 
the wide expanse above, some 1,400 or 1,500 feet high (rising to 
1,648 feet at the highest point), you can wander at your will, look- 
ing far over the plain of Shropshire to the Wrekin. Turning left 
you will find your way to the World's End; right, to Trevor Station. 

Barber's Hill, etc. 

South of the Dee, Barber's Hill or Moel-y- 

gferalnt (1,068 feet) is the most popular goal, and it can 
be climbed in half an hour. A baseless tradition tells of a 



8 Hill. LLANGOLLEN. 137 

n barber who was gibbeted on this hill for murder- 
rife. Beaching the Holyhead road straight from 
n bridge, a passage on the other side, and then a 
e, lead to another lane on the slopes of Moel-y- 

The views of the Vale of Llangollen, with the 
md the Yale of the Cross are enchanting, especially 

have climbed above the trees, and found a bench 
1 ; but just before this point is reached the road 
ne branch running on the right, the other on the 
ie Geraint, and uniting on the other side. At the 
near the bench, a broad track which leads up the 
then a path by a fence, take you most directly to 
lit. An easier way is to follow the right-hand 
j the bench, round the hill until, after passing two 
cottages, a gate admits to the hill-side near the 
>ut it should be stated that of late there have been 
rights of way on the hill]. At this gate take your 
or Snowdonia. The fine peaked mountain you see 
bance on a clear day (with your back to the gate) is 
bod. Snowdon is on the left of Siabod, the 
ire on the right, and, as you will see clearly in 

the hill, the rocky head of Tryfan is to the right 
fdera. For those who reach the top of the hill by 
3ute, we may say that Snowdon is over the dip on 
>f the green hill on the other side of the vivod 

> the west (so-called, but a corruption of Y Feifod, 
ifod "). 

d of ascending the Geraint, yon keep tip the road, past 
entloned above, you may reach a higher point (an hour 
ollen) from which there is a finer peep into Snowdonla. 
. quarter of an hour from the gate, take a road to the 
>w it until it bends right, down hill, and then climb 
ie, making for the corner of a fir wood to the right, 
iimmer evening for this climb, when the sun is pouring 
irough the Vale of Nant Ffrancon. Still higher, on a 
rery far to the right of the Grouse Box (1,712 feet), which 
sre is one of the finest views in the neighbourhood, ex- 
3m the Wrekin to Snewdon and the sea at Rhyl. 

.Ik round Moel-y-geraifti by the " high " road we 
tioned should on no account be omitted ; nor the 
3erwyn 9 by the right hand branch, from which a 
Dad turns to the right some distance past the bench. 
is road (which runs on the right slope of Bryniau 
ffshoot of the Geraint), pass two houses, Bryniau 
Bryniau Mawr, and through a gate, and then a 
take you down the hill-side, through a wood, to 
tation, making perhaps the most delightful of all 
i about Llangollen. Just beyond Berwyn station, 

> the left leads alongside the stream which rune 



188 LLANGOLLEN. Aqueduct. 

through the pretty Vivod Valley, and to the hills above, 
which we have described. It is not a public way up the 
glen, but the generous owner, we believe, enjoys giving plea- 
sure to others. Finally, to mention one more of the many 
charming walks about Barber's Hill, the road which we havai 
described past Bryniau Mawr could be followed (instead of' 
turning down to Berwyn at the gate), taking every turn to' 
the left, until the circuit of Bryniau is completed. 

Another of the shorter walks from Llangollen is round, or 
over, the slopes of Pcn-y-coed. Starting along the road past 
Plas Newydd (and not taking the footpath to it), a large I 
house, Pengwern Hall, is soon seen some distance to the i 
left. Of the original building little remains, but Pengwern i 
Hall in olden days was a place of importance, and is said to 
have been in early times the seat of Tudor Trevor, the head 
of the tribe of March or Maelor, from whom the Mostyns 
are lineally descended. The road from which we see Pen- 
gwern Hall will take us round the hill (a walk of some three 
miles altogether), but if, when we have turned towards Llan- 
gollen, and passed a large house (Ty'n-dwr) on our right, we 
turn through a gate on the left, we cross Pen-y-coed, and 
join the highway again at the entrance to the town. 

We have mentioned the boat excursion to Berwyn. By 
the same conveyance excursions are occasionally made to 
Pont-y-cyssylltau Aqueduct, and even to Chirk. The boat 
takes 2£ hours to perform the latter distance (about 6m.), 
but the return journey might be made by train. Pont-y- 
cyssylltau Aqueduct can be visited by road (4 m.), or by taking 
train to Trevor (4 m.). Another way is along the towing 
path of the canal, a pretty walk much shaded by trees. 

To Chirk Castle. 

And now for longer expeditions on the south of the Dee. 
Chirk Cast 1 5 well worth visiting, is about five miles 
by the shortest way, a stiff pull over the hill, but a walk 
that will reward you. Starting along the Holyhead road, 
turn right where the road forks, and soon right again. Some 
distance further, after passing Ty'n-dwr mansion on your 
left, keep straight on up hill for a while, and then take a 
green track ascending slantwise to the left, to the ridge. 
Keeping straight down on the other side, and turning to the 
left in about a mile, the road to the Castle is soon seen. 

For the nearest driving way (about 6fr m.) follow the 
Oswestry road until it nearly reaches a bridge over the rail- 
way, and turn to the right by a road running to the park. 
The drive through Chirk is about 7\ m. Pedestrians might 



rk. LLANGOLLEN. 189 

the train at Trevor, and follow the canal across 
-cyssylltau Aqueduct to Chirk station, a walk of four 
Taking the train all the way to Chirk (eleven rail- 
dies), and changing at Buabon junction, we cross the 
3t, where, looking up the valley, we see Castell Dinas 
and the Eglwyseg Bocks in the distance, and 
)ueduct at hand ; and turning to the other window 
be woods and slopes of Wynnstay Park in view. Prom 
station (which is also the station for the Glyn Valley 
he village is a quarter of a mile distant, and there, 
te the Hand Hotel, we get into the high road. Taking 
>ad to the right, at the bottom of the village a lane 
right leads to a position where we may view Telford's 
Let, carrying the canal over the Ceiriog, and, along* 
, a handsome railway viaduct. Turning to the left at 
ttom of the village we at once pass into Brynkinallt 
The house (portions of which are said to be by Inigo 
is most charmingly situated. A building that stood 
sf ore Inigo Jones's time was the traditional residence of 
Trevor. This is still the seat of the Trevors, but the 
Dungannon," which one of the family gained " for his 
;ry in wounding Oliver Cromwell," has lapsed, and 
3sent owner is Baron Trevor. Visitors are not admit- 
the park except by special permit. 

e not told in what way Old Noll was wounded by a Trevor, 
prowess was doubtless surpassed at Brynkinallt, when the 
cro of this century was thrashed in a stand-up fight by a 
maiden. The incident was communicated to the 0$westry 
■er by the late Lord Dungannon. Told in brief, the fight 
this wise. The Duke of Wellington, when a boy at Eton, 
pass his holidays at Brynkinallt, at that time occupied by 
ndmother, Anne, Viscountess Dungannon. One day the 
Duke and a boy named Evans were playing at marbles, and 
te arose, in the course of which Evans's sister, who was 
m, intervened, attacked his antagonist, and damped the 
hero's ardour. The heroine, who lived with her parents 
'ach, afterwards married a Mr. Randies, who took the farm, 
rl of Mornington, elder brother to the Duke, says Lord Dun- 
, " was a highly amused witness of the scene, and never, 
1 after-life he used frequently to visit Brynkinallt, did he 
ride over to the Fach, and. leave Mrs. Randies a substan- 
»of of his recollection of her girlish encounter with his il- 
ls brother." 

: at the station again, and taking the road across the 
t, a footpath on the right immediately beyond a canal 
leads to a lane, which must be crossed, and followed 
right for a few yards, and then we pass through a 
lto Chirk Castle Park. We follow the path up the 
md after a while reach the front of the Castle. The 
entrance is a little way past the private drive. 



140 LLANGOLLEN. Chirk Castle. 

Chirk Castle (a little over a mile from the station) Is a splendid 
specimen of old work, chiefly Elizabethan, but with many traces 
of Edwardian architecture. (It Is open to the public on Mondays 
and Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m. from April 1 to October 15, at a 
charge of Is. for each person. On other days special permits may 
be obtained at the Estate Office at 5s. for three persons. The pro- 
ceeds are devoted to charity). The castle was seized by the King's 
forces in 1642, In the absence of Sir Thomas Myddelton, who after- 
wards, we are told, besieged his own house and could not take It. 
Sir Thomas (who subsequently became a Royalist) was appointed 
to the command of the Parliamentary forces in Wales, and in con- 
junction with General Mytton attacked and took Powis Castle. In 
the servants' hall at Chirk Castle is a large collection of muskets 
used In the civil war and other relics of the period. The state 
rooms contain paintings by old masters, and other Interest- 
ing objects, including a cabinet of great beauty, said to have 
cost £10,000, given by Charles II. to Sir Thomas Myddelton. 
There is also a bed in which Charles I. slept, but it Is 
not always shown; and on the staircase is what is called 
a painting of Pistyll Rhaiadr (a waterfall mentioned on p. 6), of 
which a story is told. A Welshman suggested to a foreign artist 
who was making a picture of it that there were " ships [sheep! at 
the bottom," whereupon the artist introduced a small fleet and a 
wavy sea at the foot of a waterfall about forty miles from the 
nearest point of ocean. There is another version of the story, 
which is that an English gentleman hinted to the foreign artist 
that the introduction of a few sheep would improve the picture, 
on which the artist said : " Ver veil, I vlll put you some sheep* in 
It!" which he did with a vengeance 1 The view from the windows 
and the roof will complete the enjoyment of a visit to Chirk Castle. 
The antiquary, by the way, will be delighted with the domestic 
chapel, in which the ordinary visitor will probably see nothing 
remarkable. The name Chirk is taken to be a very early English 
corruption of the name of the river CeiHog. In Welsh It is called 
Y Waun, i.e., The Moor. 

Now for the walk to Llangollen over the hill. Leaving the 
Castle and crossing the line of Off a' 8 Dyke, we take a cart 
road, which leads directly from the front and past The 
Farm to a cottage lodge, when at once we begin to ascend 
to the left, and after a while take a turn to the right. The 
highest point reached (about 1,200 feet), we keep straight on 
almost along the level for a short distance, and, beginning 
to descend, come to a cross road, with a gate the other 
side, which admits to a green road running down the hill- 
side. A splendid scene lies before and aronnd us — a 
glorious amphitheatre of hills, with Dinas Bran in the 
centre. Prominent are the Eglwyseg Bocks, " noted for the 
splendid variation of their colouring ; " below, the beautiful 
Vale of Llangollen, and eastward the fine Viaduct — all con- 
tributing to make up a prospect of rare beauty. We go 
down the green road, ending in rather an abrupt descent 
into a lane, and passing to the right of Pen-y-coed (the hill 
before us), in about three miles from the ridge we reach 
Llangollen. 



Glyn. LLANGOLLEN. 141 

To Glyn 9 and to Mool Fferna, otc. 

Another walk is over the hill to Glyn (3$ m.), where im- 
proved hotel accommodation is now provided. Pass the 
entrance to Plas Newydd again (by the road to the right of 
it), and turn to the right soon after crossing a bridge. We 
have a steep climb to the summit of the ridge (1,258 feet), 
and then make a steep descent to Glyn (Llan-sant-ffraid 
Glyn Ceiriog), from which a little railway runs down a 
pleasant valley to Chirk. At Castle Mill the train might be 
left, for a walk of about 5£ miles, past Chirk Castle to 
Llangollen (see p. 140). About two miles from Glyn, in the 
other direction, towards Llanarmon, is Pont-y-meibion, where 
lived a noted Welsh poet of the 17th- 18th centuries, Huw 
Moms (Hugh Morris), and on the way there the picturesque 
little hamlet of Pandy Melin Deirw is passed. A quarter 
of a mile beyond the bridge a house called Erw Gerrig is on 
the right, and let into the garden wall is a stone bench 
(brought from his garden on the other side of the road a 
little further on), on which, it is said, Huw used to sit. 
Up this Llanarmon road a way might be found to Llan- 
rhaiadr (about 11 m.), and Pistyll Rhaiadr (about 15 m.), 
The Glyn Valley was the scene of a memorable encounter 
between the Welsh and Henry II. 

Of hills to climb there is no end, but Mool Fferna (2,070 leet) 
may be mentioned for a long ramble on the summit of the Ber- 
wyns. We will describe an easy, but not the shortest, ascent from 
Glyn-dyfrdwy station. Reaching the Holyhead road, turn left for 
a little way, and then mount by the side of a tramway into another 
road, which presently is terraced on the slopes of the hills, and 
takes you to the ridge in three quarters of an hour; then turn to 
the right for the summit (If h. from station). View of brown, 
sweeping moorland, smiling green valleys, red and yellow Eglwy- 
seg Bocks, blue mountains of Snowdonia, and sea! For forty 
miles on each side the eye ranges over every variety of scenery, 
from Tal-y-fan (near the north coast of Carnarvonshire) to the 
Shropshire Wrekin. Looking along the hill towards Corwen, 
Liberty Hatt seems near, but it is three quarters of an hour away. 
When it is reached a road runs down to Corwen. 

The Dee is a good trout stream nearly the whole distance 
from Bala to Llangollen. There is free fishing on public 
ground between Llangollen and Berwyn, but most of the 
river is preserved, at various charges by the day, with re- 
duced sums for longer periods. Coracle fishing, we should 
add, is more expensive. The coracle, a small boat of an 
irregular oval in shape, is of great antiquity. There is a 
Welsh saying that applies to the cwrwgl, to wit, " caria di fi, 
mi dy gariaf finau dithau," which means, "Carry thou me, 
and I will carry thee," as the coracle said to the fisherman ; 
and on these Dee-side roads during the fishing season you 
will occasionally meet a man carrying his boat. 



142 LLANGOLLEN, To Corwen. 

Llangollen to Corwen. 

Betwen Llangollen and Corwen we enter another lovely 
valley, enjoying views concerning which a high authority can 
be quoted. Ruskin, writing in For 8 Clavigera in September, 
1876, says he journeyed here past " some of the loveliest 
brook and glen scenery in the world.*' Immediately after 
starting by rail we see on our right Dinas Bran, on our 
left Moel-y-geraint. Then we cross the Dee on a pretty 
viaduct, and when we have crossed it we shall do well, if we 
can, to get to the right-hand side of our carriage, and look 
up Valle Crucis, immediately after which Bemoyn Station is 
reached. Luxuriant trees down to the water's edge, grace- 
ful mountains, many-coloured rocks ; and through the midst 
of all dashes the river under a bridge — a curiosity in its way, 
but a curiosity which has lost its original form. It is still 
called the " Chain Bridge," and was supposed to contain, 
in embryo, the idea worked out by Telford in his magnificent 
bridge over the Menai Straits. Looking to our right after 
leaving Berwyn station, we see Sir Theodore Martin's sum- 
mer residence, close above and to the right of the " Horse- 
shoe Fall," and Moel-y-gamelin and Moel Forfydd rise fur- 
ther off on the same side ; we lose sight of them in a tunnel, 
and come out into daylight again to be charmed once more 
with the beauties of the Dee and the hills which enclose it. 
Now we approach classic ground, for we are in the valley in 
which, if the great chieftain, Owen Glendower, was not 
born, at least every nook and corner of the hill-sides are 
associated with his history. Between Glyn-dyfrdwy and 
Carrog we should look at the Glendower Mound, to our left, 
just where the river suddenly bends to the right, a little 
hill covered with firs, between us and the Holyhead road. 
Here the great Owen watched for the enemy, and assembled 
bis friends. In a field to the east of the mound can be 
traced the moat which surrounded the mansion of the chief. 

This great Welshman took his surname from the old Welsh 
"commot" of Glyn Dyfrdwy (the Glen of Dee), the patrimony which 
had descended to him from his ancestor Gruffydd ap Madog of Mae- 
lor, whom we have mentioned under Castell Dinas Bran. The form 
Glyndwr, whence our Glendower, is of course a contraction of Glyn 
Dyfrdwy. Dyfrdwy itself is compounded of Dwfr Dwy, "the water 
of Dee," and dwr is the colloquial form of dwfr, the Welsh for 
water. As for Dwy, that it means "divine" or " the Goddess," and 
that the old etymologies from du, black, or dwy (fern, of dau, 
"two"), are impossible, is now rendered certain by the facts that 
the river is called in a tenth-century work Dubr Duiu, and that 
this Dwyw was once a common word for "a god" in Welsh litera- 
ture, and is also philologically the exact equivalent of the river's 
ancient name, Deva. Some poets call the Dee Aerfen, a 
formation from aer, "war or slaughter," to be compared with a 
Welsh word for destiny, tynghedfen from tynghed. So that the 



Distances. COHWEN. 143 

Deva (or Diva) was a Welsh Bellona. And this quite accords (as 
Professor Rhys points out) with Giraldus's statement that the 
Welsh in their wars with the English drew omens of their failure 
or success from the changes in the course of the Dee. Besides 
the Great and Little Dwy (Dwyfor and Dwyfacb), near Criccieth, 
there is at least one river Deva in Spain, there is a Dee near 
Sedbergh, and there are more than one in Scotland, where we 
also find some rivers called Lochy, one of which Adamnan (who 
wrote about 700) calls the Lochdia, and translates Nigra Dea, or 
the Black Goddess, Itch being an old Irish word for black. More, 
as this word would in Welsh be UHg, it seems very likely that wo 
have this same black river-goddess in the familiar Welsh river- 
name, Llugwy (softened from IAug-ddwy). best known as the name 
of the stream that leaps down the Swallow Fall. 

We soon pass one of the numerous places called Llan- 
sant-ffraid, a pretty village, on our right, close to Carrog 
station, and soon after, as we hurry along, the country be- 
comes tamer for a while ; there are fewer trees on the river's 
banks, and the valley broadens as we reach Corwen, where 
there is a junction with the L. and N. W. Railway for Rhyl. 



Corwen. 

EXCURSIONS AND DI8TANCBS. 

By Road.— Bala, by north road, 12, by Vale of Edeyrnion 
(prettier), 13, Llangollen, 10, Llanarmon (shortest way), 9, 
(via Cynwyd and by the mountain), 11, Pont-y-glyn, 6, Cer- 
rig-y-drudion, 10, Pentrevoelas, 15J, Bettws-y-Coed, 22, Llan- 
gar Church, 1, Cynwyd Falls, 3, Pen-y-pigyn, 20 minutes, 
Caer Drewyn, 1$ mile. 

By Rail.— Llandrillo, 5, Bala, 12. Dolgelley, 29, Barmouth, 
38, Glyn-dyfrdwy, 5, Llangollen, 10, Kuthin, 12, Denbigh, 19. 
Rhyl, 30. 

CORWEN has a church dedicated to Mael and Sulien, 
who, with St. Tanwg and St. Tecwyn (commemorated 
at Llandanwg and Llandecwyn, near Harlech) and others, 
accompanied St. Cadfan (of Towyn) from Brittany to Wales. 
It contains a curious monument to a very much later Sulien 
— Iorwerth Sulien, one of its mediaeval vicars, on which we 
may read the old form of the name of Corwen, Corvaen, 
which seems to mean the Stone Choir or Church. Pennant 
says that " the saint has his well here, and is patron of the 
church." We suppose the well he alludes to is the one near 
Rug Chapel (1£ m. from Corwen, and interesting to the anti- 
quary), on the north-west side of the Dee. Ffynnon Sulien, 
or St. Sulien's Well, was once even more sacred than the 
Dee, and it is said that in the olden time water was fetched 
from it, over the river, to fill the baptismal font at Corwen. 

Visitors to the churchyard are shown a rude cross cut in a stone 
which afterwards formed the lintel of the Priest's Door, and this, of 
course, is the true mark of Owen Glendower's dagger, which be 
threw from the rock behind the church. Another stone rejoicing 



144 CORtfEN. Pen-y-pigyn. 

in the singular name of " Carreg y Big yn y Fach Rewlyd " (The 
Pointed Stone in the Frosty Corner!) is now built into the north 
porch, and to thfs appertains a story " We are told that all at- 
tempts to build the church in any other place were frustrated by 
the influence of certain adverse powers, till the founders, warned 
in vision, were directed to the spot where this pillar stood." 
Similar tales are told of other Welsh churches, including Mall- 
wyd (p. 24) and Llangar, about a mile from Corwen, which we 
shall pass on our way to Bala. A third stone, one of the old 
crosses, standing in the churchyard to the west of the building, 
also bears the mark of a dagger which local tradition associates 
with the redoubtable Owen; but it is more interesting to the an- 
tiquary for the " cup markings" (?) on the base of the pedestal. 
Markings something like these have been found on cromlechs and 
other ancient stones all over the kingdom, and in other lands as 
well, even at Hissarlik by Dr. Schliemann, but what they are or 
what they signified no one knows. Other objects of interest to 
the curious in Corwen churchyard are low gravestones with two 
holes for the knees of those who came at one time to pray over 
the remains of their dead. Similar stones are seen in several 
Welsh burial grounds, and Pennant mentions the custom. 

From the flagstaff above the town (Pen-y-pigyn) the peak 
of Snowdon is seen. Walk through the town from the rail- 
way station, and beyond the Wesleyan Chapel (on the left) 
turn up a road on the right and soon take the right fork, 
and a broad path to the right would lead to Pen-y-pigyn ; 
hut for a shorter ascent, beyond a wooden building and a 
rock, climb steeply up the hill-side. For a better view of 
Snowdon ascend from Pen-y-pigyn to a little eminence near 
it, and the peak will be seen rising over the hills to fhe left 
of a long, dark wood, and looking up the Holyhead road. 

A path runs on from Pen-y-pigyn up the mountain, passing 
near the summit of Moel Fferna, and down to Llanarmon 
past the (small) falls of the Ceiriog. Liberty Hall, an old 
shooting box (1,786 feet) is at the end of a mountain road 
made by the Marquis of Exeter when he resided here. The 
road is reached by turning to the left out of the Cynwyd 
road just after it leaves the Holyhead road, and soon turning 
right, for the mountain. The mountain-road runs above 
Pen-y-pigyn, and can be reached from there. 

Corwen is celebrated as the rendezvous of the Welsh forces 
under the Welsh prince, Owen Gwynedd, who posted himself here 
to bar the invasion of North Wales by Henry II. in 1165. Possibly 
his encampment was on the hill crowned by Caer Drewyn, to the 
iiorth-east of the town. In Pennant's time there were " the marks 
of the sites of abundance of tents " from Corwen M to the village 
of Cynwyd," but they may have belonged to Glendower. Caer 
J>rewyn, considered by antiquaries to be a very ancient work, 
perhaps of the bronze age, is the entrenched hill we see on our 
right as we enter Corwen by rail. To reach it, going from the 
station (from which it is a little over half an hour's walk) turn to 
the left immediately beyond the Owen Glyndwr Hotel, soon 
cross the Dee, and beyond the Ruthin and Corwen Railway follow 
a lane to the left until you pass through a gate on to the open 



To Bettws. CORWEN. 145 

mountain side. Then ascend to the line of fortifications, and keep- 
ing to the right you will come to a small cairn. Rug, mentioned 
above, is notable as the place where, about 1079, Owen Gwynedd's 
father, the great Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Cynan, was treacher- 
ously betrayed to the English, who Imprisoned him at Chester for 
twelve years. 

Llangar Church, one mile from Corwen, and close above 
the line on the left in going towards Bala, is a rude building, 
and the story that is told of it will serve as a good specimen 
of the familiar class of traditions to which we nave referred. 

The tradition is that Llangar Church was to have been built 
near the spot where the Cynwyd bridge crosses the Dee. Indeed, 
we are told that the masons set to work, but all the stones they 
laid in the day were gone during the night, none knew whither. 
The builders were warned, supernaturally, that they must seek a 
spot where, on hunting, a " Carw Gwyn " (White Deer) would be 
started. They did so, and Llangar Church is the result. From 
this circumstance the church was called Llan-garw-gwyn, and from 
this name the transition to Llangar is easy. 

A mile beyond Llangar Church is Cynwyd, of which we 
read that it " was formerly noted for the courts kept there 
by the great men of the neighbourhood to settle the boun- 
daries of their several claims on the wastes and commons, 
and to take cognizance of encroachments," and it is related 
that at one of these meetings, so happy did they get under 
the excitement of cwrw da (good ale), that they agreed to 
throw the records of their different manors into the fire. A 
story is told of a waterfall on the slopes of Berwyn, a mile 
from Cynwyd station, the moral of which is " Never go a 
fishing on the Sabbath." 

A farm servant was one day transgressing the Mosaic law by 
angling for trout in Nant Trystion (the name of the Cynwyd 
brook), and when he was standing under the rocks immediately 
beneath the fall an immense fish of unusual beauty, with scales 
vivid and dazzling, approached the edge of the pool, and basked 
temptingly in the sunshine. The man, anxious to secure the 
prize, ventured into the water, whereupon the fish moved slowly 
round the pool, in each circuit getting nearer the centre, and at 
last disappeared in the depths. The unfortunate victim, uncon- 
sciously enticed into a whirlpool, was drowned. 

Corwen is a capital centre for anglers. Besides the Dee, 
there are many good streams and pools in the neighbour- 
hood. Much of the river here is particularly well suited 
for up-stream worm and minnow fishing. With the latter a 
writer in the Field secured twenty-seven fish between Carrog 
and Corwen on a bright day in July. About here the Dee 
and the Alwen are preserved, but the charges are moderate. 

Corwen to Bettwe-y-Coed. 

From Llangollen we have kept pretty near the Holyhead road 
all the way, but it leaves the railway at Corwen, and runs near 
Cerrlg-y-drudion and by Pentrevoelas to Bettws-y-Coed and Ban- 



146 COBWEN. To Rhyl. 

gor. The middle part of the journey is only enjoyed by the lovers 
of bleak scenery. Six miles from Corwen, at Pont-y-glyn— the full 
name is Glyn Diphwys (the Precipitous Glen)— a picturesque 
waterfall is passed; Cerrig-y-druaion, whose name (errone- 
ously spelt with druidion, in order to connect it with the 
Druids) means the Stones of the Brave Men, stands away from 
the road, ten miles from Corwen; and about a mile before reach- 
ing it Pen-y-gaer (also called Pen-y-gerwyn), where Caratacus is 
locally said to have been betrayed to the Romans, is on the 
brow of a hill, nearly a mile to the right. Pentrevoeias is 5} miles 
beyond Cerrig-y-drudion ; and as the road descends by the Con- 
way to BeUws-y-coed (22 miles from Corwen) there are glorious 
views of the Snowdonian mountains. About two miles from Betfrwa 
the Conway Fall is reached by crossing a stile on the left. 

Corwen to Rhyl. 

The London and North Western Railway from Corwen runs for 
the most part of its course down the Vale of Clwyd to the sea. 
Passing Owyddelwern, we reach the second station, Derwen, where 
is found a stone "which is much esteemed for sharpening the 
finest instruments/' there being none like unto it In Great Bri- 
tain; and even in America the 'cute Yankee is glad to import 
sharpness from Wales. Derwen Churchyard contains a remark- 
able stone cross, 13 feet high, the most perfect in the Vale of 
Clwyd; and in the church is one of those fine old rood-lofts of 
which there are many examples in Wales. Here the Vale of 
Clwyd begins, and we shall not be far from the river all the rest 
to our journey to Rhyl. Llanelidan Church, which is on the 
right of the line before the next station is reached, contains some 
very fine carved oak, not much, but what there is is evidently old. 
Note especially the beams in the western screen. Between Nant- 
dvrgd and Eyarth the line passes through a pretty glen, and at 
Eyarth, to the right, we see the church of Llanfair Dyffryn 
Clwyd; while another church, Efenechtyd, is not far away to the 
left. Efenechtyd Church contains a font, probably unique, hewn 
out of a solid block of oak; and the knocker on the door, sup- 

Eosed to illustrate the parable of the Ten Virgins, is connected 
y antiquaries with the nunnery (" Y Pynechtid ") which, from 
the name of the place, is supposed to have formerly existed here. 
After a short run Llanrhudd Church is about a mile away on the 
right. The church contains some ancient monuments; one of the 
16th century to John Thelwall, of Bathafarn, and his wife, with 
their fourteen children behind them. On the other side of the 
line, about the same distance away, is Llanfwrog Church, partly 
restored, a fine specimen of a style of architecture to which it is 
Impossible to assign any date; and then Ruthin is reached. But 
Ruthin is most frequently visited from Rhyl, and is therefore In- 
cluded In the excursions from that place in Part II., as well as 
the remainder of the pleasant journey to Rhyl. 



Corwen to Bala. 

We describe the railway journey to Bala through the Vale 
of Edeyrnion. The shorter of the two driving roads (not so 
beautiful as the other) leaves the Holyhead road at the 
Druid, about two miles and a half from Corwen ; half way 
to Bala Cefn Crwyni, where there is an ancient encampment, 



%der Fronwen. CORWEN TO BALA. 147 

the right, and near the 9th milestone, also on the right, 
pnlas, the early home of the late Mr. T. E. Ellis, 
on after we leave Corwen by rail we see, to the loft, 
gar Church, and then we arrive at Cynwyd station. We 
ine peeps ahead, first on one side and then on the other, 
the Dee, which is close to the line almost all the way 
ila, adds much to the beauty of our journey. The next 
mi, Llandrillo, is about three quarters of a mile from 
illage. There is, of course, angling in the Dee, and the 
drillo waters are noted for grayling. 

idrillo is convenient for the ascent of Cader Fronwen (2,564 

which is crossed by several mountain roads and paths, 
he walk can be continued to Pistytt Rhaiadr (8 miles from 
Irillo station}. For the ascent of Cader Fronwen 2— 2| 

should be allowed. Reaching the village from the station, 
the Ceidiog near the church and turn to the right. The road 
runs high above the valley, and after a long ascent passes 
gh a gate on to the open mountain, where the cairn on Cader 
ren is seen. A little further, avoid crossing the stream and 

an indistinct green road. Your way lies a little way from 
ream and you see the track on the shoulder to the right of 
ilrn. The view from the cairn is very extensive. Northward 
ave the Clwydian range (with Moel Fammau, distinguished 

tower) running down to the sea, which is seen near Rhyl. 

-west, in the far distance, is Snowdon; to the west, not far 

Bala Lake; and over the lake, the Arenigs. The Arans are 

the south-west, and then the Berwyn range, on which you 
inding, shuts in the view till a glimpse of the more distant 
omeryshire hills is caught; and you see the Long Moun- 
he Breidden, rising abruptly from the plain of Shropshire, 
le curve of the Wrekin, something like forty miles to the 
Bast. On the Berwyns grows the Cloudberry (Rubus Cham»- 
), called in Welsh Mwyar Berwyn, and also sometimes 
• Doewan, from Doewan, the patron saint of Llanrhaiadr-yn- 
ant. Mwyar, with the usual addition of duon, "black," is the 
m Welsh for blackberries. 

highest point of the track which we left to reach the sum- 
f Cader Fronwen is called Bwlch Maen Owynedd—'M^en 
dd (the Stone of Gwynedd) marking the boundary between 
cient provinces of Owynedd and Powys. At the Bwlch a 
runs to the left for Llanrhaiadr. For Pistyll Rhaiadr descend 

right, presently cross a ridge, and descend to Llyn Llyn- 
from which a path leads to the fall. There is an alterna- 
►ute from the shoulder near Bwlch Maen Gwynedd. Turn- 

the right there. Cader Ferwyn and Moel Sych could be 
i on the way to the fall (see p. 7). 

lynog is seven miles and a half from Llandrillo village, by 
ss of Milltir-gerrie ; and on the mountains to the north of 
illo (1§ hours walk) is Llyn Mynyllod, also called Llyn-y- 
3 hen (the Lake of the Sod), of which it used to be said that 
11 island in the lake floated to and fro; and if the island 

1 its course towards Bala the markets rose, if towards Cor- 
hey fell! 

idderfd, the next station, has a restored church, with 
cient rood screen, and some very curious relics, a 
n crosier, "Ffon D erf el," and portion of a wooden 



148 CORWEN TO BALA. Derfel Gadarn. 

horse, " Ceffyl Derfel," but some say the horse is a lion, 
and others a stag, which indeed is correct. 

The tradition is that Saint Derfel Gadarn, or Derfel the Mighty 
(a son of Emyr Llydaw), a saint of the 6th century, was the patron 
of the church, and a great wooden image of him was set up, ana 
pilgrimages were made to it from all parts of Wales. Indeed, fciis 
Price, the Commissary General of the Diocese pf St. Asaph In tlie 
time of Henry the Eighth, thus reports : -"The inocente peopjf 
hathe ben sore aluryd and entisid to worshipe the saide image 
insomuche that there is a commyn sayinge as yet amongist tfcem 
that whosoever will offer aine thinge to the saide image of Dar- 
vell-gadarn, he hathe power to fatche hym or them that so oners 
oute of hell when they be dampned." Some say the image was 
placed astride the very remarkable animal we have mentioned, 
and the story goes that it had been predicted of this image that 
it would one day set a forest on Are. Now there was much wood 
about Llandderfel, and the good folk* naturally thought that if 
the trees were to be burnt, it would be more profitable that they 
should be consumed on their own hearths than be destroyed by 
the object of idolatrous worship; and it turning out in the year 
1538 that a friar named Forest was condemned to be burned at 
Smithfleld for denying the King's supremacy, they gladly dis- 
mounted the idol and packed it off to London. So the poor friar 
" was suspended by his middle to a gallows," which had on it the 
following inscription : — 

David Darvel Gatheren, 
As sayth the Welshman, 

Fetched outlawes out of Hell; 
Now is he come with spere and sheld, 
In harnes to burne in Smithfeld, 

For in Wales he may not dwel. 

And Foreest the Freer, 
That obstinate Iyer, 

That wylfully shal be dead, 
In his cohtumacye, 
The Gospel doeth deny, 

The Kyng to be supreme heade. 

The image was placed under the friar, and soon fulfilled its mis- 
sion in the world, the Lord Mayor, and the Dukes of Norfolk and 
Suffolk, and other noblemen, being spectators. Bishop Latimer, 
too, was there, " placed in a pulpit opposite to the fire," and he 
was preaching while the other was burning, or rather trying to 
" bring Forest to a sense of the crime of opposing his religious 
opinions to those of his royal master, whom he denied to be the 
head of the Church." The story of the burning is true, but as 
for the willingness of the people to let the image go, EHb Price 
says they offered £40 for permission to keep it. 

From Llandderfel, in the times of Charles II., several cf 
"The Friends" started for the New World, and they are 
commemorated in the names from the old country which 
they gave to their new possessions. On one of the lines run- 
ning from Philadelphia there are stations called Berwyn, 
Bryn Mawr, Wynnewood, etc. 

Llandderfel to Pennant and Llansynoff. 

A walk or drive of nine miles will take the traveller from Llan- 



Pennant. CORWEN TO BALA. 149 

dderfel station to Llangynog oyer the Berwyn mountains, and if 
the day is fine he will have a good view of many of the greater 
heights ol Wales. Having crossed the ridge, the road begins to 
descend the Rhiwarth valley towards Llangynog, part of it being 
called Milltir-gerrig, "the Stony Mile." The old road, Llwybr 
Elen, anciently called Llwybr Cam Elen (see p. 7), or Elen's Crooked 
Path, and also Ffordd Elen, soon crosses the highway. The near- 
est way to Llangynog is straight on, but, starting along Elen's 
Path, a walk of three miles will bring the traveller to the roman- 
tic glen and interesting old church of Pennant Melangell, with its 
great bones and its quaint carvings of Monacella, the Prince and 
the hare; and two miles from here is the New Inn, Llangynog, 
which was established in 1751, where we are nine miles from 
Llanfyllin by road, or eight by a short cut, via Aber-naint. 

"Melangell's lonely church" attracted the attention of Southey. 
After his visit to Pennant he thus describes it in a whimsical 
letter to his daughter, referring to the legend of Monacella: — 
" 'Tis a church in a vale, whereby hangs a tale, how a hare being 
pressed by the dogs was much distressed, the hunters coming 
nigh and the dogs in full cry, looked about for someone to defend 
her, and saw just in time, as it now comes pat in rhyme, a saint 
of the feminine gender. The saint was buried there, and a figure 
carved with care, in the churchyard is shown, as being her own; 
but 'tis used for a whetstone (like a stone at our back door), till 
the pity is the more (I should say the more's the pity, if it suited 
with my ditty), it is whetted half away— lack-a-day, lack-a-day! 
They show a mammoth rib (was there ever such a fib P) as belong- 
ing to the saint Melangell. It was no use to wrangle, and tell the 
simple people that if this had been her bone, she must certainly 
have grown to be three times as tall as the steeple!" To which, 
to complete the story, it is only necessary to add that the Prince 
who was hunting the hare gave Monacella the lands to found an 
abbey, of which she died Abbess at a good old age. Till the last 
century so strong a superstition prevailed, that no one would 
kill a hare in the parish; and even later, when a hare was pur- 
sued by dogs, it was believed that if any one cried, " God and St, 
Monacella be with thee," it was sure to escape. 

On our left, as we leave Llandderfel, we have the new 
house on the site of the old Pale mansion. The estate was 
purchased by the late Mr. Robertson, the designer of the 
Viaduct over the Dee, and here Queen Victoria stayed for a 
few days in August, 1889. Soon we pass through a short 
tunnel and get peeps of Arenig ahead, to the right ; and the 
view up the river about here is again very lovely. 

And now a turn in the valley reveals to us Bala. We see 
its ecclesiastical spires and domestic buildings ; on the hill- 
side, the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist College, and to the 
right of it the fine old mansion of Rhiwlas, embosomed in 
trees. Now we reach Bala Junction station, and (most likely) 
have to change carriages if we are bound for Bala or Fes- 
tiniog. From the Junction we see the two peaks of Arenig 
rising over a green hill to the left of the town ; and as the 
tram runs on towards Bala the great feature of the district, 
Llyn Tegid, called in English Bala Lake, comes into vi«w 
oq the left. At the further end of the lake the two peaks of 



Hft: BALA. Distances. 

Aran Benllyn (the one nearest the lake) and Aran Fawddwy 
rise grandly on the left, and Cader Idris is plainly seen on a 
fine day, filling up the back-ground immediately to the 
right of the Arans. Looking still on the left, we can see, in 
the town, the white statue of Charles of Bala, and Tomen- 
y-Bala, a mound near the station. 



33a la. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.—C&eT Gai, 41, Llanuwchllyn, 5J, Round the Lake, 
11, Drws-y-nant Inn, 10$, Dolgelley, 18, Llandrlllo, 8, Cor- 
wen, 13 (by north road, 12), Llangollen (shortest road), 22, 
Vyrnwy, 15, Llyn Arenlg, 6, Rhyd-y-fen, 9, Festlniog, 19, 
Llangynog, 12. 

By Bart.— Llanuwchllyn, 6, (for Bwlch-y-groes, 5, Dlnas 
Mawddwy, 13, Castell Cam Dochan, about 2$, ascent of Arans, 
2J— 3 hours), Drws-y-nant, 12 (for Aran Tawddwy, 2 h.), 
Dolgelley, 19, Barmouth, 28, Llandderfel, 5 (for Llangynog, 
9, Pennant Melangell, 9), Llandrlllo, 7 (for Llangynog, 8, 
Pistyll Rhaiadr, 8, Ascent of Cader Fronwen, 2— 2J hours), 
Corwen, 12. Llangollen, 22, Arenig station, 8 (for ascent of 
Arenig, 1J h., Yspytty If an, 8 m., Bettws-y-coed, 15, by a way 
difficult to find), Trawsfynydd, 17, Maentwrog Road, 20, Fes- 
tlniog, 22. [For excursions from the stations on the Bala 
and Festlniog line, see page 123]. 

BALA, which has good hotel accommodation and private 
lodgings, is a little town of 1,544 inhabitants, and 538 
feet above the sea. It is near the shores of Bala Lake, which 
is surrounded by hills of no great height ; but at the other 
end of the lake there is the fine group of the Aran moun- 
tains to ascend, and Arenig is only eignt miles away by the 
Festiniog Railway. " Tomen-y-Bala," the round mound 
near the station, is ascended by means of a winding walk. 
The key is kept at a neighbouring cottage, the entrance fee 
is one penny, and there is a pleasant view. Tomen means 
literally " heap ; " but whether this heap was of Roman or 
" British " origin is a disputed point. 

Bala Green, on a part of which the railway station 
stands, has long been famous in Wales for its great religious 
assemblies. In by-gone times it has accommodated as many 
as twenty thousand persons at once, for what the Welsh 
Calvinistic Methodists call " Sassiwn," a corruption of the 
English word association. These are quarterly meetings 
(for the transaction of business connected with the denomin- 
ation, and for worship and preaching) held at various towns 
and large villages in the Principality. For many years the 
June meeting for North Wales was always held at Bala, and 



Bala Lake. BALA. 151 

known as " Sassiwn y Bala/' while the others were held 
in turn in the different counties. 

The Corwen road crossing the railway bridge near the 
station leads to the entrance to Rhiwlas, the seat of the 
Prices, and one of the ancient houses of Wales; and for 
another short walk start up the street .to the right of the 
White Lion Hotel and keep straight on until a white house 
is near in front. Then follow a track to the left, and to the 
right of a quarry curiously excavated in a great rock, take a 
path to the left and reach an eminence beyond. Moel Emoel, 
the conspicuous rounded summit to the north-east of the 
town, commands a fine view. 

Bala (which is called in Welsh Y Bala, " The Bala,") derives Its 
name from a rare and almost obsolete word, meaning the efflux 
of a river from a lake. Bala Lake is called in Welsh Llyn 
Tegid, the Lake of Tegid, whose name Is a modification of the 
Latin Tacitut, and who was the husband —says the Story of TcUies- 
rin (quoted on pages 35, 36) — of Ceridwen, mother of that cele- 
brated bard. The opening of that tale tells us that this Tegid 
Foel (the Bald), " a gentleman of Penllyn, had his home in the 
middle of Llyn Tegid;" and we find here (as at Llyn Safaddan) 
the typical tradition of a city overwhelmed by the waters for its 
sins. And as Bala has once gone, so says a popular rhyme, it will 
have to go again some day! 

Y Bala aeth, a'r Bala eifi ; 
A Rhuthyn yn dref harbwr. 

The last line of this screed means " And Ruthin (shall be) a sea- 
port town .'"—which shows that this Welsh Mother Shipton did 
not mind drawing a very long bow into futurity! As to these 
traditions of burled cities it is interesting to observe that they 
are sometimes (at Llyn 8afaddan, for instance) associated with 
lakes where crannogs have been found, and traces of lake-dwell- 
ings are supposed to have been discovered at Bala. 

Penllyn (Lake-head) is the Welsh name of this district, prac- 
tically comprising the whole basin of Llyn Tegid. Besides Tegid, 
there is another character of Welsh romance, this time a prince 
of Penllyn, associated with Bala. According to Pennant, the 
mound called Castell Qronw in the map, on the other side of the 
Dee, which we shall come across in one of our walks later on, is 
called in a MS. " Castell Gronw Befr o Benllyn," about which 
Goronwy the Fair of Penllyn (a thorough-paced rogue I) and his 
richly-earned death, is it not written in our Festiniog section (p. 
121)? Even his household retinue (teulu) deserted him in his hour 
of need, and left him all alone to receive Lleu's poisoned spear. 
Bala Lake has a very curious old English name (which occurs in 
a charter of Owen Brogyntyn, «.#., Owen of Brogyntyn, by Oswes- 
try, to Baslngwerk, dated about 1200), Pembdmere. This is usually 
written Pimblemere, and is doubtfully derived from Pum Blwy', 
or the Five Parishes, which quite reminds one of the Vierwald- 
stitter See (the Lake of the Four Woodland Cantons), the German 
name of the Lake of Lucerne. There are five old parishes in Pen- 
llyn, including Llandderfel, which does not touch the lake. 

Bala Lake was the largest sheet of water in Wales 
(1,084 acres) before the construction of the Vyrnwy Reservoir, 



162 BALA. Round the Lake. 

which is 1,121 acres. If we walk along the road to the north- 
eastern head of the lake, we shall after a while cross the 
Dee on Mwnwgl-y-llyn bridge, where Tennyson conned his 
illustration of the manner in which the tender love and care 
of Enid for the Prince— 

Filled all the genial courses of his blood 
"With deeper and with ever deeper love, 
As the south-west that blowing Bala lake 
Fills all the sacred Dee. 

We see much of the beauty of the lake in our walk, and the 
best point of view, perhaps, is a few yards along the shore, 
to the right, turning off before the bridge is reached. The 
scenery of Llyn Tegid is not so grand as that of other parts 
of Wales, but there is a peaceful charm which many will 
appreciate. Bight down the lake you see the great mass of 
Cader; to the right, the dark shoulder of Arenig Fawr, to 
the left the two Arans, first Benllyn and then Fawddwy. 

Boating on the lake is pleasant, and boats are kept by the hotels. 
In these expeditions the visitor oan amuse himself by trying to 
discover whether it is true that the sacred waters of the Dee, 
whloh at the other end of Llyn Tegid is called by Its Welsh 
name, Dyfrdwy, on the ordnance map, never mix with commoner 
waters in their course through the lake! The abundance of pike 
in Llyn Tegid (where the fishing is free) has still left sport for 
the trout fisher. Lord Lyttelton liked the gwyniad so much that 
he " assures his friends it is so exquisitely delicate as to more 
than rival in flavour the lips of the fair maids of Bala " ; but it 
neither rises to the fly nor takes any bait, and some people dis- 
like its flavour. It is found nowhere else, we believe, in Wales, 
except in one small lake, to which it was transferred by the late 
Mr Price of Rhiwlas; and It is said to derive its name from the 
extreme whiteness of its scales. As for trout, there are plenty of 
streams in the neighbourhood, and the angler oan scarcely do 
better than make one of the hotels at Bala his head-quarters. He 
must Inquire as to licences and permits. The Dee we have already 
mentioned. The Tryweryn enters the Dee near Bala Junction 
station. The Hlrnant is about a mile from that station. The 
Twrch, the Lliw, and the Llafar run into the further end of the 
lake. Llyn Arenig is some six miles oft, on the side of the moun- 
tain of that name; Llyn Llymbran on the Arans. All anglers 
agree in praising the fishing of this district. One says "he must, 
indeed, be a muff who cannot, on a good day, kill a right good dish 
of fish " in the streams, we have mentioned. Salmon are found tn 
the Dee and the Tryweryn. 

Round fho Lake. 

A walk ail round the lake is worth taking, the whole dis- 
tance being about 11 miles. The best route is the one start- 
ing on the north-western side, and in following this course, 
if you are tired when you get to Llanuwchllyn at the other 
end, you can take the train, and so save over five miles of 
the distance, and enjoy the view (almost) as well from your 
carriage. Walking, then, straight along the road from the 

a 



Oaer Gai. BALA. 163 

station, we see Tomen-y-Bala, to our left, pass through the 
long street of the town, and in a mile and a quarter reach 
Llan-y-cU Church, which has been restored. Every Welsh- 
man has heard Of " Chtfrles y Bala," who was buried in the 
•churchyard. In this dhurch, too, lies the body of a once 
popular poet, the iftev. Evan "Lloyd of 1Tron, a friend of 
Oarrick and Jack Wilkes, the latter of whom made his 
acquaintance in the King's Bench prison, and wrote his 
epitaph. 

Of Mr. Charles the following story is to.M:— One day in 1800 he 
was -visited at Bala by a girl who had walked all the way from 
Llanfihangel, on the other side of Cader Idris, to buy a Bible, for 
which, for years, she had saved up her scanty earnings. The 
Christian Knowledge Society at this time had ceased to print 
the Scriptures in Welsh, and intended to print no more, and 
Mr. Charles at first replied that he had no copy to spare; but, 
touched by the girl's grief, he parted with the scarce and precious 
book. The scene impressed him so deeply that In 1802 he went up 
to London, full of a soheme for providing Wales with Bibles, on 
the plan of the Religious Tract Society, recently formed, and 
the result was an expansion of Hr. Charles's idea, and a supply 
of Bibles for the world. The statue of Mr Charles, which has 
been set up in the square fronting the Calvlnistlc Methodist 
Chapel, was subscribed for by people in all parts of England and 
Wales; indeed, we might almost say by Welshmen in all parts 
of the world. It is the work of a Welsh artist, and the inhabi- 
tants of Bala are proud of it. 

Leaving Llan-y-cil churchyard, which contains some fine 
yew trees, about two miles and three quarters further, Glan- 
Uyn, one of the residences of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 
is on the left ; and in about another half mile Goer Gai is on 
a gentle eminence to the right, an ancient stronghold tradi- 
tionally associated with Cai Hir, or Cai the Tall, the cele- 
brated Sir Kay the Seneschal of Arthurian romance, and his 
father, Cynyr Farfog (the bearded), Arthur's foster father. 

The rare Welsh account of the youth of Arthur expressly says 
that he was sent to be fostered with Cynyr in Penllyn (the name 
of this district), and Spenser has mentioned it too, using authori- 
ties that had corrupted " Cynyr " into " Timon," in the musical 
lines— 

His dwelling is, low in a valley greene, 
Under the foot of Rauran mossy hore, 
From whence the river Dee, as silver cleene, 
His tombling billowes rolls with gentle rore; 
There all my dales he trained me up in virtuous lore. 
Rauran, of course, is Yr Aran, but that is on the other side of the 
lake from Caer Gai, which means the stronghold of Cai. 

Caer Gai was a Roman station, from which several roads di- 
verged. The passing traveller sees little sign of the defences, but 
the well-preserved fosse and vallum enclosing what is now a farm 
house are best observed on the western side. There is also an 
outer dyke hounding perhaps six or eight acres. Roman urns 
have been found here, and in the early part of 1885 the ploughman 
of the farm came across a stone, enclosed by trenches, which, as 



154 BALA. Lake Vyrnwy. 

the inscription snowed, was a relic of the Roman occupation, andF 
probably dated from about the year i05. With it were discovered 
fragments of pottery. 

In another hall mile or so Pont Lliw is crossed (when a 
road to the right leads to Castell Cam Dochan, mentioned 
further on), and soon Llanuwchllyn is reached, where a well- 
preserved figure, of a knight in armour can be seen in the 
church. The railway station is half a mile from the churchy 
and there most pedestrians will take the train. Those who 
continue their walk will pass Llangower Church, at the 
entrance to a pleasant valley ; and, at the Bala end of the 
lake, the little mound called Castell Gronw. 

To Lake Vyrnwy. 

Lake Vyrnwy is ten miles from Bala, and it is another five to 
the village at the other end. The road takes us among wild moun- 
tain solitudes, but it must be confessed that the way is rough 
and the driver endures much jolting. Starting down the 
street opposite the Lion Hotel, after crossing the Dee and the 
railway, in about a quarter of a mile where the road forks turn 
to the right, and about two miles from Bala you reach Khos-y- 
gwaliau. Beyond the village the entrance to the old mansion of 
Rhiwaedog is passed, and then the road runs to the left of the 
Hirnant stream (which we shall follow almost to the top of the 
pass) through a beautiful wooded valley, and reaches' Aber Hir- 
nant (4 m.), a little way beyond which a turn to the left must be 
avoided. The road, which is rough now, after a time descends 
and crosses a tributary stream, and keeps on the right shoulder 
of a hill, round which it afterwards bends to the left. After the 
road has crossed the Hirnant the steep ascent to the summit of 
the pass can be seen. It is a very stiff climb to the summit (about 
1,650 feet), where a stone marks the division between Merioneth- 
shire and Montgomeryshire, and Moel-y-geifr (2,054 feet) rises on 
the right. We descend very steeply between the hills on the other 
side, and are less than a mile from Lake Vyrnwy when it 
comes in sight, and we have a delightful view. Then we reach 
Rhiw-argor farm, where horses can be put up by those who are 
not driving all the way to Vyrnwy (see pages 8, 10). The lake at 
this end is very beautiful, the hills rising high on each side, and 
it has none of the appearance of an artificial formation. Looking 
to the right near Rhiw-argor the fall of Pistyll Rhyd-y-matngcau is 
seen, by which a path runs over the pass of Bwlch-y-pawl into the 
Bala and Dinas Mawddwy road. There is another way to Vyrnwy, 
over Bwlch-y-groes, by which walkers (from Llanuwchllyn station) 
save about a mile (see p. 155). 

Llanuwchllyn and Dlnas Mawddwy. 

Llanuwchllyn might be made head quarters for a 
week. Castell Cam Dochan is about two miles and a half 
distant, on the top of the round and black-looking rock 
which lies under the mountains, north of west from the 
station, and which we can see from the train. On the top of 
the hill there was once a castle, and if you fail in tracing- 
very considerable ruins you will at least have a charming 
prospect. A little further on, following the valley of the 



Bwlch-y-groes. BALA. 155 

Liliw, the stream falls in a picturesque cascade; and if 
your walk is continued among wild hills for twelve miles or 
so you may reach Trawsfynydd (railway station). The road 
is on the other side of the stream from Castell Cam Dochan, 
and the distance from Llanuwchllyn is about 14 miles. 

A few minutes' walk Aran-wards from Llanuwchllyn 
station will take us to an ivy-covered bridge, where the 
Twrch, coming down from the mountains, makes a charming 
picture in sunny weather. Over this bridge lies the way to 
Dinas Mawddwy, and immediately after crossing it there is 
a short cut up into the road again" [Between the two points 
the road forks and the right branch is taken.] The distance 
to Dinas is 13 miles, and it is a fine walk, and a stiff climb, 
for the height reached is not far short of 1,800 feet. Much 
•of the road is rough and stony, and must be trying to cyclists, 
who sometimes travel it. A little more than two miles from 
the station, close to a chapel, a rough road strikes off to the 
right up Cwm Croes, in which Llyn Llymbran (miscalled 
Lliwbran on the ordnance map), where the trout are large 
and delicate, lies on the slopes of Aran Benllyn ; and by 
this route that mountain could be ascended. Keeping up 
the Dinas Mawddwy road, less than a mile from the entrance 
to Cwm Croes, a turning to the left runs over Bwlch-y-pawl 
(the Pass of the Pole) to Lake Vyrnwy. In another two 
miles (five miles from Llanuwchllyn station) we arrive at 
the top of the pass (1,790 feet), where we may rest awhile to 
enjoy the vast sweep of the cwm that stretches away towards 
Aran. The pass is called Bwlch-y-groes (the Pass of 
the Cross) — a cross having once, it is said, existed on its 
summit, to call travellers to thanksgiving for having arrived 
so far in safety. [A road on the left a little way beyond the 
summit runs to Vyrnwy, and is the way to take in the Llan- 
uwchllyn route mentioned on page 154]. The descent is 
steep ; the pass between the mountains is fine, and there is 
an impressive view of the green valley below. Presently, 
there is a lateral valley on the right, by which Aran might 
be ascended (p. 27), and then we cross the Dovey. And 
now we are approaching a part of the walk which excited 
George Borrow so much that, as we shall see, he made a re- 
markable jump, literally and metaphorically. At the village 
which he passed, Llan-y-mawddwy, 4 m. from the top of the 
pass, there is a pretty glen with two waterfalls (see p. 26). 

"I passed a village with a stupendous mountain just behind It 
to the north, which I was told was called Moel Frith, or the party 
■coloured Moel. Scenery of the wildest and most picturesque des- 
cription was rife and plentiful to a degree; hills were here, hills 
were there— some tall and sharp, others huge and humpy; hills 
'were on every side; only a Blight opening to the west seemed to 



156 BALA. The Aran*. 

present itself. 'What a valley!' I exclaimed. But on passing 
through the opening I found myself in another wilder and stran- 
ger, if possible. Full to the west was a long hill rising up like the 
roof of a barn, an enormous round hill on the north-east side, and 
on its south-east the tail of a range which I had long had on my 
left — there were trees and groves and running waters, but all in 
deep shadow, for night was now close at hand. 

" What Is the name of this place ? ' I shouted to a man on 
horseback, who came dashing through a brook, with a woman in 
Welsh dress behind him. 

" ' Aber Cowarch, Saxon!' said the man in a deep guttural voice, 
and lashing his horse, disappeared rapidly in the shades of night. 

"'Aber Cowarch!' I cried, springing half a yard in the air, 
' why, that's the place where Ellis Wynn composed his Immortal 
Sleeping Bard, the book which I translated in the blessed days 
of my youth. O, no wonder that the Sleeping Bard is a wild and 
wondrous work, seeing that it was composed amidst the wild and 
wonderful scenes which I here behold.' " 

George Borrow foolishly jumped to a conclusion as well 
as jumping half a yard in the air. The Cowarch of the 
Sleeping Bard was miles away, near Harlech, and George 
Borrow might as well have taken a Shakesperian jump at 
Stratford-le-Bow, as an Ellis Wynn jump at Cowarch by 
Dinas ! Aber Cowarch is 1£ mile from Dinas Mawddwy 
station and hotel. [See pages 23 — 27]. 

Ascent of the Arans. 

The great attraction of this district for mountaineers is 
the ascent of the Arans, which can be made from Dinas 
Mawddwy, Llanuwchllyn, or Drws-y-nant. The shortest 
ascent is from Drws-y-nant, the finest from Dinas Mawddwy. 
[See pages 26, 27]. 

The easiest way of ascending from the Bala side is to 
drive from Llanuwchllyn station (about 550 feet) to Nant-y- 
barcut (4 m.) in Cwm Croes (page 155), that is, if you can 
hire a vehicle to drive so rough a road ! Perhaps it is also 
the best way for walkers. A little over two miles from 
Llanuwchllyn, turn down by a chapel, cross one bridge and 
then another (to the right) and walk up the road near the 
stream for about 1£ mile to Nant-y-barcut farm (1,100 feet). 
Before passing it turn to the right and follow a track up 
hill. The track grows indistinct, but keep on up to Llyn 
Llymbran, and climb to the right of it, to the summit of 
Aran Benllyn (2,901 feet), reached in something like an 
hour and a half from the farm. [Look out for bulls, but 
there are walls to shelter the fugitive !]. 

For the shortest route from Llanuwchllyn, turn to the- 
right before crossing the Twrch bridge above the station,, 
and follow the road for some distance on the right of low hills,, 
until you come to a more open part of the mountain. Take- 



Fhe Aran*. BALA. 157 

>ath up the middle of the broad slope before you, about 
f way up it turn to the right, and keep on the western 
e of the ridge until you are below the rounded head of 
an Benllyn; then, having a peaky-looking part of the 
untain to the right, climb to the cairn-marked summit in 
)ther half hour, or two hours from the station. The 
y has very likely been too boggy to be agreeable, and you 
$ht have avoided watery places by a longer walk along 
: low hills on the left. From Aran Benllyn the cairn on 
an Fawddwy is reached in about half an hour. 
Tor Aran Fawddwy (2,970 feet) from Drwf-y-nant 
tion (about 500 feet), you turn to the left by the lane 
ich crosses the line by the station, and (avoiding one turn 
the left) keep on till you see a new-looking stone farm- 
use near on the left, then turn up to it and keep straight 
. The mountain road runs for some distance to the left of 
little valley, and ($ hour from the station) passes through 
;ap in a wall on the open mountain. The cairn has been 
dble almost ever since you left the station, and is now 
»n by looking straight through the gap. Climb near the 
ttercourse which leads your eye to the summit (not the 
e on the right). It is a rough ascent of nearly four miles, 
d will probably take about two hours. [In descending 
Drws-y-nant make for the left of the valley in front of 
u when your back is turned to the Dyfi Lake. After de- 
ending a while you see a track running through an opening 
the wall some distance off ; the track finally leads past 
farm-house to a lane, and there you turn right for the 
ition. About a mile from Drws-y-nant station, towards 
&la, is the Howel Dda Inn, from which also an ascent can 
; made. For the Llanuwchllyn descent keep along the 
ige almost north to Aran Benllyn and still northerly to the 
11 age. For descents to Dinas Mawddwy see p. 27]. 

The view from Aran Fawddwy, and from Aran Benllyn too, Is 
le of the most extensive in Wales. We will suppose you are 
anding on the former, facing north, with Arenig Fawr, cairn- 
arked, before you, and to the right of it a glimpse of the river 
Dnway. Carrying your eye to the left, you see in succession the 
randed heights at Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd Dafydd; the 
Lunacies of Try fan; the Glyders running west In a long ridge. 
ith the Pass of Llanberis to the left of them; Moel Siabod 
earer; then Snowdon; Moel Hebog; Moelwyn, the Rhinog range, 
ad next, to the south-west, Barmouth Bridge and the Estuary 
f the Mawddach; Cader Idrls; Borth, and the sea line down to 
embrokeshlre, Ply nil mm on (south) ; after a long stretch of coun- 
ry, Breldden, distinguished by its pillar, and over It the Wre- 
:in; the Berwyns; and another tower-marked summit, Moel 
ammau, with the long Clwydian range, running down towards 
he sea near Rhyl. Immediately below you to the east lies Crelg- 
yn Dyfl, with the Dovey flowing from it along the valley; and 



168 BALA. Arenig. 

more to the north, Bala Lake, and the town at the head of it. 
Shrewsbury also is said to be included in the view. 

Ascent of Arenig-. 

Arenig is another mountain to be climbed from Bala. 
The nearest way for the pedestrian is along the Festiniog 
road, as far as the Ffrydan Flannel Factory, then left by 
the upper road, past Bhyd Ucha, Tal-y-bont chapel, and 
Llidiardau chapel to Arenig Lake (about 6 m. from Bala), 
far up on the mountain side. Arenig railway station lies 
at the foot of Arenig, and as it is about 1,000 feet high, and 
the summit is 2,800, the most modest climber can reach it. 
A little way along the road, to the right, from the station, 
and before reaching a farm, ascend by a rough road. When 
it ends keep on up the slopes, and passing near a little 
watercourse with reddish banks climb to the ridge, and then 
to the cairn (1£ hour). 

Northwards, almost over Arenig Fach on the other side of the 
railway, the hills about Bettws-y-coed are to be seen, and the Vale 
of the Conway beyond ; then carrying your eye left, Tal-y-fan (near 
Penmaen-mawr), the Carnedds (Llewelyn and Dafydd), Moel Sia- 
bod (nearer), and oyer that mountain the rocky head of Tryfan, 
the Glyders on one side of the Vale of Llanberis and Snowdon 
on the other, Moel Hebog, and (nearer) Moelwyn, the sea about 
Portmadoc and Pwllheli, Trawsfynydd village, Bhihog Fawr and 
Fach, with Drws Ardudwy between, looking like the letter V, 
Diphwys, a peep into the Ganllwyd Valley, Moel Cynwch, on 
which the Precipice Walk runs, Rhobell Fawr, with Moel Offrwm 
over the right shoulder of it, and Cader beyond, the Arans and 
Bwlch-y-groes ; nearer, Llanuwchllyn at one end of Bala Lake and . 
Bala at the other, the valley of the Dee and the Berwyns beyond 
Bala; and lastly Moel Fammau and the Clwydian range. 

Llyn Arenig is on the eastern slopes of the mountain, and 
can be reached over the hill-side from the station. The 
easiest way is to keep along the road to the left, and strike 
an old road to. the lake — say three quarters of an hour. A 
peculiar echo, described by some visitors as resembling " an 
echo played on the keys of a piano/' can be awakened there. 

Bala to Festiniog 1 . 

The railway which runs from Bala to Festiniog passes through 
come fine mountain scenery. The second half of the journey is 
the more interesting. The line follows the valley of the Tryweryn 
river for upwards of eleven miles, runs between the two Arenigs, 
and at Llyn Tryweryn, a lake lying to the left of the Festiniog 
road, reaches its highest point (1,278 feet), one of the highest of 
any railway in Wales. After leaving Bala, at first there Is nothing 
striking In the scenery, but when Fron-g6ch station is passed, 
and as the Arenigs are approached, the little river winds in a 
broad valley surrounded by barren hills. Annig station is 
reached, and soon after, the line diverges from the high road to 
Festiniog. After passing Llyn Tryweryn the Lladron Brook is 



SI 

i 

j 

a 

I 



Dolgelley. BALA. 159 

dona Tiaduct of nine arches, of 36 feet span, and 104 feet 
ght, and the way then lies along the secluded Cwm Prysor, 

the engineers have cut into the steep sides of the hill, high 

the bottom of the valley. There is something very lmpres- 
i sweeping round the hill-side on this terraced railway, and 
ilnog range of mountains in front adds to the effect. About 
lies from the viaduct a little mound, Castell Prysor, the site 
lorn an fort, is on the left, and now, looking down another 
, which is approached here, Cader Idrls fills up the dis- 
We are not far from Tratcsfynydd, but the line bends to 
ght, leaving the village about three quarters of a mile to 
•ft. Now other mountains come in view, Moel Hebog and 
yn; a more Important Roman station, Tomen'-y-mur, Is 
>n the right, and then the train draws up at Maentwrog Road 
es from the village). The next two miles are full of beauty 
peaked summit of Moel Siabod rises to the right of the fine 

of the Moelwyns, we see Festiniog over the valley of the 
el, and, crossing it, have exquisite glimpses of the Vale of 
liog before we reach Fettiniog (p. 117). 

driving road to Festiniog runs over high ground (the sum- 
s about 1,500 feet) and through wild scenery, with flue views 
e Snowdonian and Merionethshire mountains. Pedestrians 
d start from Arenig, and then they have a walk of ten miles, 
after passing a little inn at Pont-ar-Afon-Gam the fine fall 
aiadr Cwm (3* m. from Festiniog) is seen, and the descent to 
Qiog, especially perhaps of an evening when storm clouds 

the sky, is exceedingly impressive. The road is rough, but 
>e cycled. 

Bala to Dol&elley and Barmouth. 

we are bound for Dolgelley we travel back from Bala to 

unction, and there change carriages ; and, after leaving 

Junction, we pass, on our right, Castell Gronw. 

ig across the lake rears its head grandly behind Llan-y- 

"hurch, and the train runs along the whole length of 

Tegid. We pass a flag station, from which a little 
n boat plies to Sir Watkin Williams Wynn's house, 
t-llyn, seen on the other side ; and now look left. Aran 
lyn rises before us, and soon the train pulls up at Llan- 
Myn, where the view is one of the most beautiful in the 
hbourhood, and mountaineers can alight for the ascent 
le Arans ; but they are nearer the summit at the next 
on, Drws-y-nant. 

i we leave Llanuwchllyn we enter a wild moorland, 
jh, as we pass on, becomes enclosed by rugged hills. 

train runs up a long incline, by the side of the little 
r Dyfrdwy — the infant Dee — and after the summit of the 
i is reached (over 770 feet) Cader Idris is seen in front. 
he descent from Drws-y-nant station through the Wnion 
ey to Dolgelley is unmistakably fine, and yields some of 
best views of Cader. The rivulet hurries down in a bare 

stony bed, here and there fringed with trees, and it is 
very Welsh and very lovely. Only one other station, 



160 TO BARMOUTH. Snowdon. 

Bont Newydd, is passed, and then we see Dol-serau mansion, 
near the Torrent Walk, and as we steam into Dolgelley the 
topmost peak of Cader sinks behind the nearer ridge. [For 
Dolgelley see page 77]. Between Dolgelley and Barmouth 
the Great Western train runs over the Cambrian Railway, 
and the beauty of the journey from Ruabon culminates in the 
Estuary of the Mawddach. Two miles from Dolgelley Pen- 
maen-pool is reached, and beyond that station the river- 
broadens, and the view is superb, especially if the tide is- 
full. Hills of every shape and colour are round about us, 
and we seem to be passing a succession of beautiful lakes. 
Arthog is passed, and beyond the ne*t station, Barmouth^ 
Junctlon, the train crosses the long bridge to Barmouth, 
which we have already described. [For Barmouth see page 
61, and for the Estuary, pages 75, 76]. 



Hscent of Snow&on 

Snowdon belongs to Part II. of the Guide, but we print here a 
concise description of the Beddgelert ascent for the benefit of 
visitors to the West Coast. From Beddgelert (see pp. 71, 104) walk 
or drive (the Khyd-ddu brake would serve) 2% m. on the Carnarvon 
road. Immediately before Pitt's Head Rock is reached turn to the 
right to Ffridd Uchaf farm. The way lies between the buildings and 
straight on, passes to the left of a rivulet, by the side of a wall, 
and of a depression in the ground. About three quarters of a mile 
from the road, cross a quarry road near some rocks (here the Rhyd- 
ddu route joins. The path in three or four minutes runs through a 
gap in a wall, and after winding a little runs on to and through 
a gate near a sheepfold. The track is ill-denned here, but it 
runs straight across the field, and up a rocky boss at the 
other end, and past a refreshment-hut and well. Soon the path 
passes through a wall (2,000 feet), and about half the climb Is 
accomplished. Then, after ascending a while, the path again 
passes through the wall (2,460 feet), and on up the shoulder of 
Llechog, with Cwm Clogwyn far below on the left. There will 
now be no difficulty in finding the way to the summit, for the 
path is a plain one. From the shoulder it bends to the left, and 
passes along the narrow ridge of Bwlch-y-maen (3,080 feet), and 
then ascends steeply to the cairn. 

From Rhyd-ddu (Snowdon station) start by a quarry road which 
crosses the railway a few score yards towards Carnarvon, and 
runs to the rfght of a little tower. Keep along the quarry road, 
and (avoiding a turn to the left which seems to run in the direc- 
tion of Snowdon) follow the road until you pass through an iron 
gate with rocks on the left immediately beyond it, and then, close 
to the rocks, you find the Beddgelert route crossing the road. [The- 
best way of accomplishing the ascent of Snowdon from Barmouth 
and other places on the west Coast is to reach Portmadoc by the 
first train in the morning, and hire a conveyance. The ascent can 
be made In two hours, but it is better to allow between five and 
six for ascending and descending}. 



II. 



ITH THE WILD IRISHMAN. 



Cbester. 

lRE old Chester," on the Dee, is one of the most in- 
teresting places in the kingdom, and every traveller 
way to Wales should make a point of seeing it. The 
hich had a population of 36,281 at the last census, is 
notable for its Rows and its Walls. As to the age 
walls there is an endless dispute. Are they of Roman 
liaeval workmanship? Mr. Loftus Brock agrees alto- 
with neither opinion, believing that the old founda- 
lave been preserved, and that portions of the walls 
I of nnmortared or large stones are of Roman date, 
it by far the largest portions visible are mediaeval. We 
ly mention the principal attractions of the city, which 
visited between the trains ; that there are many more 
, the local handbooks will show, 
le visitor makes his way, on foot or on the tram-car, 
broad street leading from the general railway station, 
in a few minutes take him into the old line of streets, 
, turning to the right (close to the chief approach to 
enor Park), will lead into the city. He will speedily 
;fore him an arch spanning the road, and from this 
ay run the walls. Passing under the arch into East- 
Jtreet the Rows are reached. The Rows are nothing 
Qor less than — say, three-storied houses, with the front 
of the second story cut away, leaving the fronts of 
:>p story to rest on pillars. Steps lead up to these 
, and visitors promenade upon the ceilings of the 
below, which face the street ; and in front of other 
lore fashionable shops, placed where the back rooms of 
;cond story would be in houses of the ordinary kind, 
tows are found in Eastgate Street, and its continuation, 
rgate Street, and also in Northgate Street and Bridge 
t, which run right and left at the junction of the two 
lamed streets. In Watergate Street, on the left, is 
l's Providence House," as the inscription shows, but it 
)een rebuilt with the old materials. According to a 
tful tradition, the inscription was put up because it was 
nly house in the street that escaped the plague. Still 

J G 



162 CHESTER. The Walls. 

further on the same side is a building called " Bishop Lloyd's 
House," with the date 1615 upon it, and covered with curious 
carving, representing scriptural subjects. Proceeding along 
Watergate Street, Trinity Church, on the right, contains 
the tombs of Parnell the poet and Matthew Henry the com- 
mentator, whose chapel is in Trinity Street ; and a little 
further, up an entry on the left, beyond Linen Hall Street 
(on the right), is the old Palace of the Stanley Family (1591), 
a fine specimen of timber building. A few steps further 
along Watergate Street would lead through the Water Gate 
into the Rcodee ; but at the gate the Walls can be ascended, 
and, turning left, followed past the fine Grosvenor Bridge, 
the Castle (a modern building, with a Norman tower near it), 
and the old Dee Bridge (1280), to St. John's Church, outside 
the walls, supposed to have been founded early in the tenth 
century, and still including portions of a very ancient struc- 
ture. The tower of this church has fallen several times, the 
last in 1881, but a fine Norman nave remains. Continuing 
along the walls, the Cathedral is passed ; and then the 
Phoenix Tower, from which Charles I. saw his army defeated 
on Bowton Moor on September 27th, 1645 (not September 
24th, as the inscription states), can be ascended. Another 
tower, just above the railway, the Water Tower, approached 
through Bonewaldesthorne's Tower, is now a Museum, and 
the Public Grounds below contain many Roman remains. 
The museum in the Tower is small, and to see a large collec- 
tion of Roman and other antiquities the Grosvenor Museum 
should be visited. When the Water Gate is reached again 
the circuit is complete (about 2 miles), and the visitor can 
return along Watergate Street, and turn up Bridge Street, 
to see the ancient Crypt (one of several in Chester), at the 
back of the premises occupied by Mr. Newman, ironmonger ; 
and, nearly opposite Pierpoint Lane, an interesting Roman 
Hypocaust and Sudatory. Further along Bridge Street 
and (to the right) Grosvenor Road the Grosvenor Museum 
and the Castle would be reached. Retracing our steps along 
Bridge Street, and continuing along Northgate Street, the 
Cathedral is approached through the fine Abbey Gateway. 

There are more interesting cathedrals than that of Chester, but 
from the various styles of its architecture it is said to he one of 
the best studies in the kingdom for a young architect. It was 
restored by Sir Gilbert Scott, and the curious observer may dis- 
cover, on some of the corbels on the south-east angle of the south 
transept, the faces of Mr. Gladstone and Lord Beaconsfleld. In- 
side, the Choir will delight the visitor, who should pay particular 
attention to the stalls, unrivalled for workmanship, with their 
beautiful canopies, and the folding seats called misereres. The 
Communion Table was the happy idea of the late Dean How son, 
who thought ** the Holy Table might suitably receive its decora- 



Hawarden. CHESTER. 163 

tlon from the forms of the plants connected with our Saviour's 
Passion." The Dean soon found willing helpers. Mr. Henry Lee 
of Sedgeley Park, a prominent Lancashire Nonconformist, who 
had brought wood from Palestine wherewith to make a pulpit 
for a Congregational Church, freely placed It at his service for 
the Communion Table, and Mr. Armltage of Tronfleld House, Al- 
trincham, carved the panels. The " slab of oak at the top is from 
Bashan, the surface decorations are olive from the Holy Land, 
and the shafts at the angles are of cedar from Lebanon." We 
cannot give an elaborate description of the Cathedral. The Lady 
Chapel (of Early English architecture) will be admired; at the west 
end of the north aisle and in the north transept *re remains of 
Norman architecture; and in this transept is the marble altar- 
tomb of the well-known Bishop Pearson. The Chapter House is 
particularly interesting to the architect and the antiquary. 

Eaton Hail, the residence of the Duke of Westminster, is 
not quite four miles from Chester, and most of the journey 
can be accomplished by boat on the Dee. Shilling tickets, 
to be obtained at the Stable Yard entrance, admit visitors 
in summer. Tickets for the Gardens (6d. each) are sold at 
the Garden gate. The receipts are devoted to public purposes. 

For Hawarden Castle, on the Welsh side of 
Chester, Hawarden station, on the line to Wrexham (starting 
from Northgate station, which is reached by turning to the 
right from Upper Northgate Street), is nearest (under a 
mile). Sandycroft on the Holyhead Line, is distant l£m. ; 
but suppose we approach it by way of Broughton, five miles 
along the Mold and Denbigh line. The way from Broughton 
station is along the Hawarden road for one mile, and for 
another through the pleasant park, where the modern house, 
Mr. Gladstone's residence, where he died May 19, 1898, and 
the ancient Castle are reached, near together. The Castle 
has often figured in history. It was a bone of contention 
when English and Welsh were striving for mastery ; and it 
stood more than one siege in the Cromwellian wars. General 
Mytton assaulted and took it ; Sergeant Glynne, a friend of 
CromwelPs, became the purchaser, and in the hands of his 
descendants it has continued to this day. Little now re- 
mains except the keep, partly mantled with ivy, which stands 
on high ground, and from its summit commands an exten- 
sive view, but it is so embosomed in trees that only a keen 
eye can detect it from a distance. [The park is open in the 
afternoon ; the old Castle free on Saturdays, 1 to 6 p.m., May 
to October : at other times a fee of Is. is charged for six per- 
sons]. The drive winds round the ruin, for another half mile, 
to the village and the church, which in past days was often 
crowded on Sunday, when Mr. Gladstone worshiped there. 
The church contains a window designed by Burne-Jones, 
and erected by the sons and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. 
Gladstone as a memorial of their long and happy lives. 



164 CHESTER TO RHYL. Ewloe Castle. 

From the churchyard there is a fine view of the estuary of 
the Dee. There is a legend that, ages ago, the rood or cross 
of Hawarden Church having fallen on the head of the Cas- 
tellan's wife, it was thrown into the Dee, and carried by the 
tide to Chester — hence Rood-ee, " Holm of the Cross." St. 
Deiniol's Library and Hostel, which was founded by Mr. 
Gladstone, and the new building for which will be one of 
the national memorials to him, will interest many visitors. 

Hawarden is two miles from Queen's Ferry station; but 
another castle can be reached by keeping on through the 
village, past Trueman's Hill, the site of an old British forti- 
fication, for a mile and a half, when, after crossing a yellow 
stream, a path runs up, on the right, past a cottage (where the 
key is kept), and across a couple of fields to a great dingle. EvXoe 
Castle, of whose history little is known, is a small and not a beau- 
tiful ruin, but its situation, in a dingle, is remarkable. [The visi- 
tor, retracing his steps along the road for half a mile, will find, 
by the Boar's Head, another road running down to Queen's Ferry 
station in two miles]. Three miles further on the road is Northop 
(i.e., North Hope; in Welsh called Llaneurgain, from St. Eurgain, 
daughter of Maelgwn Gwynedd), worth visiting for its church, 
which was built by the mother of Henry VII., and contains effigies 
of the 14th and 15th centuries; and Northop is three miles from 
Flint. About three miles west of Northop, on Halkin Mountain, is 
Moel-y-gaer, a good specimen of an ancient stronghold. 

But we return to Chester for the track of the Irish Mail, 
known as the " Wild Irishman " — one of the finest lines of 
railway in the kingdom, and part of the London and North- 
Western system. 

Cbester to 1Rbi?L 

TRAVELLING from Chester to Holyhead, we first pass 
through and under part of the city, then run past the 
Boodee, cross the Dee, and at Saltney branch to the right 
from the Great Western. We see Moel Fammau, with its 
tower, and Hawarden Church, and the trees of the park 
before passing Queen's Ferry. A little further the Dee is 
spanned by a bridge on the Cheshire Lines Railway. 

There is nothing more to arrest our attention until we 
arrive at Flint, and there we have on our right one relic of 
the good old times to which an interesting history attaches ; 
but the Castle ruins in themselves are scarcely worth in- 
specting, and the town, like too much of this part of the 
coast, is an ugly collection of works and dwelling houses. 

The Castle, now so insignificant, is famous in history. It was 
built by Edward I. " It was the meeting place of Edward II. with 
Piers Gaveston; it was taken by Llewelyn; was given by Edward 
III. to the Black Prince; passed to the De Veres and the Karl ol 



jlywelt. CttfiSTEk TO RfiYL. i& 

mmberland ; was garrisoned by 8ir Roger Mostyn for Charles 
aptured by General Mytton, and dismantled by order of Par- 
ent In 1647." It was in this Castle that the meeting between 
ard II. and Bolingbroke, described by Shakespeare, took 
•; and we must repeat the oft-told story of Froissart, about 
ard the Second's greyhound. Math was a splendid animal, 
like dogs generally, greatly attached to his master; but it 
d appear that he had a good deal of human nature in him 
all, for when his instinct told him, as they left Flint Castle, 
it was all up with Richard, he followed him no longer, but 
ed upon the Duke of Lancaster. 

a few moments we reach Bagillt, the line here running 
>st into the water, and so affording us a good view of the 
ning estuary. Five minutes more, and a glimpse may 
btained of the ruins of Basingwerk Abbey, amongst the 
i on a gentle eminence on the left, near a lofty chimney 
the junction of a mineral line with the railway. Then 
rrive at Holywell, where we leave the train in order 
isit one of the " Seven Wonders of Wales." A walk of a 

and a half will take you to Basingwerk Abbey and St. 
efride's Well. Following the road to the town for a few 
ites, and turning to the left at the " Royal Hotel," 
ngwerh Abbey is almost immediately seen on the right. 

10 the original founder of this Cistercian Establishment was 
)t known, but there Is no doubt it existed in the twelfth cen- 
. It shared the fate of so many other religious houses in 1535, 
is said to have been revived by Mary, and still later, Roman 
olics were buried here, for it was a favourite place of inter - 
t because of its proximity to the sacred Well of St. Wlnefrlde. 
ruins, with which some ruined farm buildings are mixed up, 
Interesting to the antiquary and the architect, but squalid in 
r surroundings and scarcely beautiful to the untrained eye. 
>ems a pity that more care is not taken to preserve them. 

path leads from the ruins to a grimy lane, which runs 
' the road you left at the " Royal Hotel," and the road 
Is to Wlnef ride's Well, reached soon after passing 
er a bridge. Tickets (2d.) are bought at the new building 
the left, close beyond which is the old chapel over the 
11. 

ie legend of St. Wlnefrlde (whose Welsh name Is Gwenfrewi), 
old by the late Mr. Tlmbs, was this:— In the seventh century 
d a virgin of the name of Wlnefrlde, of noble parents. At a 
i early age she was placed under the care of her maternal 
le, Beuno, a holy man and a priest, and she lived with certain 
>r pious maidens, in a small nunnery near the site of the pre- 
t spring. Having been seen by Prince Caradoo, he was struck 
tier great beauty, and finding it impossible to gain her in mar- 
;e, he attempted to carry her off by force ; she fled towards the 
rch, pursued by the Prince, who, on overtaking her, in thp 
Iness of his rage, drew out his sabre and struck off her head, 
severed head bounded down the hill, entered the church door, 
rolled to the foot of the altar, where St. Beuno was officiating, 
ere the head rested a spring of uncommon size burst forth— a 
jrant moss adorned its sides; her blood spotted the stones. 



166 CHESTER TO RHYL. St. Winefride. 

which, like the flowers of Adonis, annually commemorate the tact 
by assuming colours unknown to them at other times. St. Beuno 
took up the head, and, at his prayers and Intercessions, it was 
united to the body— the virgin was restored to life, and lived in 
the odour of sanctity fifteen years afterwards. Restored to life, 
Winefride took the veil, and became Abbess of a convent at 
Gwytherin (7 m. from Llanrwst). On her second death there she 
was buried, but in the reign of Stephen some monks managed to 

fet possession of her remains, and carry them to Shrewsbury, 
ut it is said that in 1545 the tomb was rifled of its contents. 
We may add that the name of Caradoc's iather Alog (older 
Alauc) is supposed to survive in the Welsh name of Hawarden, 
Penardd HaXawg, now corrupted into Penar-lag. St. Wlnefride's 
father is said to have been "a brave soldier," who possessed three 
" villae : " one, "Abeluyc," he gave to St. Beuno, and a second was 
called Gwenffynnon (White or Fair Well), a name which occurs 
elsewhere, but which may have been the original name of St. 
Winefride' 8 Well. Certain antiquaries have started a quite 
modern myth about her, viz., that her name is a corrup- 
tion of the Welsh Gwentfnod, which means a fair or clear brook 
(and is a common brook-name in South Wales), so that at that 
rate she would be nothing more than a Welsh Undine or Kuhle- 
born! But, unfortunately for this theory, her Welsh name Is not 
Owenffrwd, but Chcenfretet, the genuineness of which name is at- 
tested by the existence of a similar Welsh name, Collfrewi! The 
Welsh name of Holywell is Treffynnon, «.•., Well-town. 

Whether the well became one of the Seven Wonders of Wales 
because of its miraculous powers or for its extraordinary flow of 
water, we cannot say, but for the latter it deserved its place in 
the list. Pennant estimated the flow at twenty -one tons a minute ; 
later topographers say one hundred tons a minute, and that the 
basin will hold two hundred tons (or "tuns," according to some 
writers) of water, which, when emptied, can be re-filled in two 
minutes. On the 11th July, 1731, a wager was laid to decide the 
flow, and the parson of the parish seems to have acted as umpire. 
To the surprise of the company, the well filled in less than two 
minutes; but the flow of water, we believe, has been reduced in 
these degenerate days. The moss which clings to the side of the 
well is the Jungermannia ajjrfentotdea— vulgarly called St. Wlne- 
fride's Hair. Some of the stones are coated with a vegetable 
growth called by Linnaeus Byssus iolithus; and as this is ruddy, of 
course it is unquestionably St. Wlnefride's blood. The Gothic 
chapel over the Well is supposed to have been erected by the 
mother of Henry VII. 

The marvellous powers of the Well are still believed in 
by members of the Roman Catholic communion, who visit 
Holywell in large numbers, and from time to time we 
read of " miraculous cures." When we last saw the well 
a collection of crutches remained to testify to the recovery 
of the lame. In 1871 Lord Denbigh, writing to the Tablet, 
thought it would be scarcely figurative here to say that 
" the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, etc.," and he added 
that through the miracles performed Protestants had been 
converted to the true faith. It has been feared at times, 
however, that the Well might disappear, for, according to 
general belief, the water flows through a subterranean chan- 
nel called the Caleb Bell Vein in Halkin Mountain, and a 



j 



rutyit. CHESTER TO RHYL. 107 

me for thoroughly draining the mountain might destroy 
Wonder of Wales altogether. If we may accept the 
ry of some geologists, the waters have their origin in 
Eglwyseg Rocks above Llangollen! The spring has 
been a favourite resort of pilgrims, among whom may 
tamed William the Conqueror, Henry II., Edward L, 
James II., who "touched for the evil" on the steps of 
Well ; and in quite recent times it has not been without 
nguished visitors, whose presence was not altogether 
ed by curiosity: amongst others, Daniel O'Connell, 
linal Wiseman, and the King of the Belgians. 

Holywell Church an old bell is kept, which was used in a 
L way to call people to worship. The position of the church 
Lng any bell rung there to be Inaudible in some parts of the 
, a peripatetic ringer used to be employed, whose perform- 
3 were thus described by Warner:— "A leather strap is sus- 
ed round his neck, and a large and heavy bell attached to it, 
h rests upon a cushion buckled over his knee. Thus ac- 
red, he traverses the town, jingling his bell, to the surprise 
ose who are unacquainted with the custom." The perform- 
s of this " walking steeple " (as they called him), novel as 

were, will not compare with those of the sexton of a Welsh 
ge church, who, when his bell got out of order, mounted the 
ch tower on Sunday mornings, and summoned the leading 
;hloners by name ; literally " singing out M : — 

Shon Morgan, Shon Shones, 
Shon Morgan, Shon Shones, 

Shon Shenkin, Shon Morgan, 
Shon Shenkin, Shon Shones. 

i the next station, Mostyn, we pass the woods of Mostyn 
k, the entrance to which is opposite the station. The 
I, the seat of the Mostyns, is a veritable museum of 
sh relics, and it is interesting as the scene of the re- 
kable escape of Henry, Earl of Richmond, afterwards 
ry VII., from some troops of Richard III. The party 
on the point of sitting down to dinner when Richard's 
>pers disturbed the banquet, and Henry had to make his 
tpe through a window. We are told that on every occa- 
i of a more than usually important feast at Mostyn Hall 
knife and fork Henry used are to this day laid on the 
queting table. Amongst the relics at Mostyn are a silver 
p, once an Eisteddfod prize, and the original comrais- 
i granted by Queen Elizabeth to hold the Eisteddfod at 
Twys in 1568. What is, after Peniarth, one of the best 
int collections of Welsh MSS. is preserved here, and has 
n catalogued for the Historical MSS. Commission. 
>ut two miles from Mostyn is Downing (a corruption of 
Welsh Tref Ednowen, " Ednowen's Vill "), the residence 
'ennant ; and not far from Downing is the Roman Catholic 
vent of Pant-asa (" St. Asaph's Hollow ">. 



168 RHYL. Prestati 

Six miles from Mostyn by rail we reach Prestatyn, passifl| 
on our right, about half way, the Point of Ayr Lighthotm^ 
and afterwards, on our left, one of the white stations of tlM 
old semaphore system, connecting the Welsh Coast witl^ 
Liverpool, formerly used to announce the arrival of ships** 
This building is retained for the modern telegraph wires, bufc^T 
others are disused. Higher up the hill, near Prestatyn, we^i. 

see the remains of a still older signalling station. Down on 1 J 

the coast here, at a place cheerfully called Uffem, or Hell, I 

was the northern termination of Offa's Dyke. 

Most of the lodging houses at Prestatyn are half a mile-, 
from the shore, which is sandy, and provided with bathing ; 
machines. There are Golf Links near the shore. Prestatyn • 
has grown in favour of late years with people who prefer a • 
quieter place than Rhyl, and like to be nearer the hills ; and f^ 
there are pleasant walks within easy reach : to Dyserth, for I™ 
example, and Newmarket Cop, Mostyn Park, and Maen-y- \ 
chwyfan (see pp. 177, 179). Rhyl is about four miles along 
the shore. 

We have now, on our railway journey, left the estuary of 
the Dee, and are close to the end of the Clwydian range of 
hills. As we proceed towards Rhyl, in front, if it is fine, we 
see the Great Orme's Head and Penmaen-mawr, and have 
our first glimpse of the greater mountains — Carnedd 
Llewelyn, and the long range of which it is the highest ^5 
point; to our left we have Moel Fammau, and, at the ex- 
treme end of the vale, Moel-y-gamelin and other hills near 
Llangollen. About a mile away is the well-known Talar 
Goeh Mine, and, immediately beyond, the scanty ruins of 
Dyserth Castle are seen on the summit of a green hill. 



EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. \ 

By Sea.— Excursions by steamer to Llandudno, the Menal \ 

Straits, &c. The Liverpool steamer calls occasionally. 

By Road.— Rhuddlan Castle, 3 m. (2J by field path), Bodel- 
wyddan Church, 5J, St. George, 5, St. Asaph, 5J. Cefn Caves, 
9, Denbigh, 11, Dyserth, 3J, Newmarket, 5*. Maen-y-chwy- 
fan, 8, Cwm, 5, Prestatyn, along the sanas, 4, Towyn, 3, 
Pen-sarn, along the sands, 4J, Abergele, 5. 

By Rail. 

[Distances along the coast— e.g., to Conway— are much 
the same by rail or road, but parts of a mile beyond a 
small fraction are reckoned as whole miles in railway dis- 
tances. Distances to places off the line are from the end of 
the railway journey 1. Chester, 30, Colwyn Bay, 11, Con- 
way 16, Llandudno, 18, Penmaen-mawr, 20, Llanfair-feohan 
23, Aber, 25, Bangor, 30, Menai Bridge, 32, Llanrwst 26 











"«*<* 






1 



istances. fettYL. 1<& 

tettws-y-ooed, 30, Dolwyddelan, 36, Festinlog, 46, Carnar- 
on, 39, Llanberls, 48, Corwen, 30, Caerwys, 18, Mold, 28. 
Rhuddlan, 4, for Castle, Ac, Bodelwyddan Church, 2}, 
lyserth, 24. 

St. Asaph, 6, for Cathedral, Cefn Caves, 3J. 
Trefnant, 9. for Cefn Caves, about 3J, Tremeirchion Caves 
nd Brynbella, 3, St. Beuno's College, 3J. 
Denbigh, 12, for Castle, Ac. 
Ruthin, 18, for Moel Fammau, about 5. 
Prestatyn, 4, for Dyserth, 2|, Newmarket Cop, or Cross, 3. 
Mostyn, 10, for Park, Maen-y-chwyfan [also called Maen 
chwyfan] and GarreK, 3, Whitford, 2J, Downing, 2. 
Holy-veil, 14, for Basingwerk Abbey and Winef ride's Well, 

Sandyeroft, 25, for Hawarden Castle, 1|. 
Abergele (Pen-sarn), 5, for town of Abergele, J m., St 
eorge, 3 m. 

LiandtUas, 7, for Llysfaen Old Telegraph, about 1J. 
Snowdonlan excursions by train and coach run in con- 
ection with the London and North Western Railway; and 
no rounds may be mentioned, for walking or driving, to 
ee many of the attractions of Rhyl district In a short 
me: — Train to Rhuddlan, walk past Dyserth and Dyserth 
astle, Newmarket, and Maen-y-chwyfan, and through 
iostyn Park to Mostyn station, about 11 m. Train to St. 
sapn, and walk to Cefn Caves, and from there past the 
toss Foxes Inn and St. George to Pen-sarn, about 11J 
liles [or from the Cross Foxes Inn past Bodelwyddan 
hurch to Rhuddlan station, thus shortening the walk to 
bout 10 m.]. 

3YL is a place which has grown rapidly from a village 
to a town of 8,473 inhabitants in the winter time, and 
>le that number in the summer. We are often asked 
fc it is that makes Rhyl attractive. Its situation is flat ; 
b are no rocks, and no hills within three miles of the 
e : yet Rhyl has grown rapidly. But the air is pure and 
ing, the sands, from which the tide recedes for more 
a mile at low water, are firm and pleasant to walk on, 
ings reasonable — a great attraction ; and although not 
self on the most inviting spot, it is " backed up " bv the 
; of Clwyd for pleasant and interesting excursions. 
1 is emphatically a resort for sea-bathing families ; and 
aealth there is perhaps no place to beat it. Besides the 
idant provision for bathing in the open sea there are 
osed baths. 

tiyl, we are informed, is remarkable for its small rainfall, 
the infrequency of mist and fog in the winter. The light- 
i of the soil is favourable to the rapid absorption of 
sture, so that all traces of rain speedily disappear from 
surface ; and its drinking water is brought from Llan- 
dd, about eight miles to the south-west. There are good 
)ls, and there are lodging houses to suit all purses, 
he fine Promenade, which has been asphalted and beauti- 



l7t) ttttYL. View Points. 

fied with grass plots, is provided with shelters, and had a 
spacious Pavilion, which was burnt down in 1901. It will 
doubtless be re-built. The Marine Drive extends from the 
Promenade for a considerable distance in the direction of 
Prestatyn, passing the sand dunes, which are a characteristic 
feature of this side of the town, and the links and pavilion 
of the Golf Club. In 1893 a submerged forest suddenly 
made its appearance nearly a mile to the east of the pier. 

Pleasant excursions in the summer time are made by 
brakes, which run to Dyserth, Rhuddlan, Bodelwyddan 
Church, St. Asaph, the Cefn Caves, Denbigh, St. George, 
Abergele, Gwrych Castle, Llanfair Talhaiarn, Colwyn Bay, 
Llandudno, and other places. The Bodelwyddan and 
St. Asaph brakes run on Sunday as well as week days. 
Rhyl, which can be reached by steamer from Liver- 
pool, does little in the way of shipping, but the few 
small vessels which come there find harbourage in the Foryd, 
as the mouth of the Clwyd is called ; and there are both 
sailing and rowing boats for visitors, who can fish in the sea ; 
or, if they wish for fresh water, they can resort to the Clwyd 
above Rhuddlan, the Elwy, the Wheeler (whose proper 
Welsh name is Chwiler), and other streams in the district. 
A large artificial lake, where boating and pontoon bathing 
can be enjoyed, has been constructed close to the Clwyd rail- 
way bridge, and is reached by the street running past the 
Town Hall, or by turning to the left from the Foryd end of the 
parade. At Foryd a ferry plies across the river to the sands, 
along which there is a walk (about 4£ m.) to Pen-sarn. 

Two or three spots may be mentioned for the sake of the 
views. The Foryd Bridge (toll, Id. for foot passengers and 
cyclists), close to which is the marine lake, commands a 
large extent of the Vale of Clwyd. Looking up the river 
the tower of St. Asaph Cathedral is seen, with Bodelwyddan 
spire to the right of it, and Rhuddlan Castle to the left. 
Still further left, sharp eyes could detect the scanty re- 
mains of Dyserth Castle on a little hill on the face of the 
range which bounds the Vale ; Newmarket Cop, fringed with 
trees, is conspicuous above it, and the grey Moel Hiraddug 
to the right of it. Further away, tower-marked Moel Fam- 
mau crowns the range. Another bridge, at the east end of 
Rhyl, the Gladstone Railway Bridge, near Brighton Road, 
commands a view of Snowdon (see view from pier) ; and then 
there is the end of the pier (toll, 2d.)— quite a respectable 
walk for some people, for it is 750 yards long. 

From the pier the mountains of Snowdonia are seen to advan- 
tage, and there is a good view of the coast. Carnedd Llewelyn is 
the rounded, hollow-breasted mountain (which is visible from the 
parade, immediately over Gwrych Castle beyond Abergele), the 



Rhuddlan, RHYL. 171 

next to the left Is Pen Helyg, and then Pen-lUthrig-y-wrach, 
which rises close to Capel Curig. Almost over Pen-uithrlg is 
Glyder Fach, and to the left of Olyder rises the sharp peak of 
gnowdon. To the right of Carnedd Llewelyn is Foel Fr&s, another 
rounded summit; Tal-y-fan is seen looking past the lofty chim- 
neys of Llandulas, and Penmaen-mawr rises boldly over Colwyn 
Bay; then we have the Conway Mountain and the hills on the 
promontory of Creuddyn, including the Great and Little Orme. 
We see the telegraph station at the extremity of the former, the 
village of Llandrillo, with Plas Euryn, the houses which line 
Colwyn Bay, Llandulas, with the old Llysfaen telegraph station 
above it, and many other spots which the visitor with spare time 
on his hands may Interest himself in identifying. Much of this 
Is to be seen from the parade. There is also a good view of the 
mountains from the bridge crossing the railway at the station. 

Rhuddlan Castle and Bodelwyddan 

Church. 

Rhuddlan Castle, three miles by road, or two and a 
half by a field path starting near the outskirts of the town, 
is best reached by train or brake. [For the field path, cross 
the railway bridge on the Chester side of the station, keep 
straight on, and soon turn up Victoria Road on the right, 
in wnich, after walking for two or three minutes, you will 
find a stile on the left, at the beginning of the path. There 
is another pleasant walk by which Rhuddlan is about the 
same distance. Starting from Wellington Road, beyond the 
Gas Works, cross the railway and follow the river along the 
embankment to the village.] 

Between Rhuddlan and the sea is Rhuddlan Marsh (Moria 
Rhuddlan), supposed to be the site of the " Battle of Rhuddlan," 
which certainly took place In or about 706. It Is said that the 
Saxons then inflicted a crushing defeat on the Cymry; and It is 
fancied that the well-known air, " Morfa Rhuddlan," expresses 
the weeping and wailing of that fatal day. Welsh writers, 
both In poetry and prose, are apt to Inform us that Caradoc, King 
of Owynedd or Venedotla, then and there met his death; but, 
though he probably commanded the Welsh host on that occasion, 
the old annals, Latin and Welsh, unite In placing Caradoc's death 
(at the hands of the English) two years after the "Battle of 
Rhuddlan." Rhuddlan Castle (admission, 2d.) was founded in the 
11th century, and played a considerable part in the wars between 
the English and the Welsh. Henry II. strengthened It. Owen 
Owynedd knocked it to pieces, and It had an eventful history. In 
1300 Richard II. was here, a prisoner, and It shared the fate of 
many other strongholds in the Cromwellian wars, when it was 
taken by Mytton, and afterwards dismantled. 

From the Oastle a walk through a wood by the river leads to a 
mound called the Abbot's Hill, the site, It Is said, of an ancient 
stronghold, and the centre of a beautiful view; and from the 
mound a footpath runs to Abbey or Plas Newydd Farm, a quarter 
of a mile to the south-east. The farm occupies the site of an 
aacient Priory of Dominican Friars, part of which remains in the 
outhouses; and the visitor who enters the farm-yard will see the 
ftgure of a knight of the 13th century in the wall of the building 
the eastern side. Another house, seen from here across the 



172 BHTL. Bodeiwyddan. 

fields, is called Splt&l (EorpitaX abbreviated) on tbe ordnance map, 
and points to the time when there was probably a House of Tem- 
plars at Rhuddlan ; and half a mile south of Spltal, on an eminence 
by the road-side, is the stump of an ancient cross (Crugyn Cross). 

The ivy-covered towers of the Castle, a picturesque object 
from the railway station, stand above the river, which is here 
navigable for very small vessels, the Clwyd and the Elwy 
having united their waters about a mile above the village. 
A relic of antiquity in the village street which takes you 
from the station towards the ruins has obtained a name 
under false pretences. On one of the houses an inscription 
records that Edward I. held a Parliament there; there is 
no foundation for the statement, but it was at Rhuddlan 
that Edward promised the Welsh a prince who could not 
speak a word of English. 

In the beginning of the nineteenth century a remarkable ser- 
mon, which had a very remarkable effect, was delivered at Rhudd- 
lan by John Ellas, a great Welsh preacher of the Calvin 1st lc 
Methodist Church. It was the time of harvest, when the reapers 
assembled in the streets on Sunday to be hired, buying and sell* 
ing went on, and the place was given up to revelry. Ellas was 
warned of the risk he ran, but he was fearless, and we read that 
after he had spoken for a short time "the people were seized 
with awe," his text being a most appropriate one : " Six days 
shalt thou work, but on the seventh thou shalt rest, In earing time 
and in harvest thou shalt rest." The audience soon became 
" panic-struck," and it Is said, after Elias's preaching campaign, 
" such misdeeds were never seen again in Rhuddlan. 

Rhuddlan is the best station for Bodelwyddan 
Church i near the hall of that name, a castellated building, 
the property of Sir W. G. Williams, Bart., the present re- 
presentative of the founder of the family, Sir William Wil- 
liams, who made himself useful to James II. in the prosecu- 
tion of the Seven Bishops, and whose grandson succeeded 
to the Wynnstay estates. Bodelwyddan Church is just out- 
side the northern entrance to the park, half a mile- from the 
hall, a little over two miles from Rhuddlan station, and 
three from St. Asaph station. 

It is one of the most beautiful and exquisitely finished churches 
in Wales, was designed by Mr. John Gibson of Westminster, and 
cost £60,000. The graceful spire, 202 feet high, has been seen by 
the visitor miles away; but it is the Interior, with its marbles of 
almost every hue, its stained glass, its carving In stone and wood, 
and the chaste beauty of the whole, which will chiefly delight 
him. The stone of which the fabric is built, still as white as on 
the day it was opened, in 1860, was quarried on the estate, and the 
way in which it is carved excites the wonder of everyone; the 
woodwork is oak throughout, the pulpit being a marvel of the 
carver's art; and the font, a block of Carrara marble wrought 
Into the shape of two girls holding a shell, is another interesting 
feature. The figures of the girls were taken from life, and the 
Uken.ettcs» oi tbe late Sir Hugh WUUams's daughters and I**4f 



St. Asaph. RHYL. 17& 

Willoughby's nieces, were excellent. The church was erected by 
the late Lady Willoughby de Broke in memory of her husband, 
and now contains a window to her own memory. 

St. Asaph and Cefn Caves; 

The village city of St. Asaph is only six miles by rail 
from Rhyl. There is nothing specially elegant or command- 
ing about the cathedral, and almost its only peculiarity is 
that it is the smallest of all the English and Welsh cathe- 
drals. A considerable sum has been spent within the last 
few years in " restoration," and two of the results are a 
beautiful reredos and a throne of oak. Some of the monu- 
ments within are worthy of notice. One, formerly believed 
to be that of Bishop David ap Owen, is the subject of con- 
troversy. There is another to Dean Shipley, who was tried 
for libel at Wrexham for a most praiseworthy act — the dis 
semination of wholesome literature. There are also a tablet 
and a window in memory of Mrs. Hemans, who resided 
successively at Bronwylfa, near the station, and Rhyllon, 
also near the city. The keys are kept by the verger, who 
lives near the cathedral, and is usually in attendance ther? ; 
and the tower, from which there is a far-extending view oi 
the Vale of Clwyd, can be ascended. There is no fixed f*e 
for either. In front of the cathedral stands the monument 
of Bishop Morgan, who translated the Bible into Welsh. 
From the base to the cross on the top the monument is 
thirty feet high, and it includes the effigies of Bishop Morgan 
and seven others who assisted him in the work. 

The first founder of a religious establishment at Llanelwy (The 
Church on the Elwy)— whose English name of St. Asaph was not 
known before 1100— is universally admitted to have been Cyn- 
deyrn (Kentigern), the temporarily exiled bishop of those 
Northern Britons whose capital was Alclud, now Dumbar- 
ton, on the Ciyde. He is said to have visited St. Da~td at the 
place now called after that saint before coming to St. Asaph, and 
the name of the church of Llangyndeyrn, near Carmarthen, seems 
to form a memorial of that visit. But he is best known now-a-days 
as the founder of the see of Glasgow, where, and in Scotland 
generally, he is less remembered under his proper name than by 
his sobriqueU of St. Mungo (which is glossed meus dilectus, or "my 
dear," and in modern welsh would be written Fy nghu!) and In 
Olas CM, which means in Irish or Gaelic the Grey Dog— whence 
Glasgow /—at which city they have thus impartially preserved both 
his Welsh and his Irish pet names. St. Kentigern Is said to have 
died at Glasgow in 612, having left his disciple Asa or Asaph to 
succeed him on the banks of the Elwy, and give a name to what 
afterwards became the see of St. Asaph. 

The cathedral has had its hard knocks like those of other 
places. Owen Glendower burnt it to the ground in 1402, and 
the stalls in the existing building, now used by the officials, were 
In Cromwell's time occasionally used for horses. There have been 
some notable bishops attached to the diocese: William Morgan, 



174 RHYL. Cefn Gave*. 

the well-known linguist, who first translated the entire Bible Into 
Welsh, and became Bishop of St. Asaph In 1601, whose monument 
we have mentioned, Dr. William Beverldge, and Dr. Horsley. 
Nor must we forget to mention Dr. Lloyd, who was one of the 
Seven Bishops imprisoned in the Tower by James n.,— " a pious, 
honest, and learned man, but of slender judgment, and half- 
crazed by his persevering endeavours to extract from Daniel and 
the Revelations some information about the Pope and the King 
of France." Lloyd was too impetuous for a bishop, but he cer- 
tainly did not " lord it over God's heritage," for he admitted 
religious equality more than most men of his age, and actually 
invited Mr. Owen, the Independent Minister of Oswestry, and 
Philip Henry, to a friendly discussion in Oswestry Guildhall on 
the question of Nonconformity; and the discussion took place. 
We have mentioned Dick of Aberdaron In Part I. His gravestone, 
which has a Welsh inscription, will be found on the south side of 
St. Asaph parish church. 

The great attraction of this neighbourhood is the Cefn 
Caves, which are about 3} miles from St. Asaph, and 
reached by crossing the river, turning to the left, in about 
five minutes to the right, and in another five to the left 
again, by a road which runs past Cefn, some distance beyond 
which the (only authorized) way to the Caves is through a 
gate on the left on the road to Pont Newydd. They can also 
be reached, and Ffynnon Fair visited, by keeping to the 
Denbigh road after crossing the bridge at St. Asaph and 
turning off at another bridge over the Elwy, mentioned 
below, Pont-yr-allt. But we recommend the pedestrian to 
alight at Trefnant. From there follow the St. Asaph road 
until it forks (both branches running to St. Asaph) and take 
the left branch. Follow it until you have crossed a bridge 
over the Elwy, Pont-yr-allt, when a road turns sharply to 
the left. Follow this road for a short distance to. where it 
forks, and take the branch to the left down hill, when 
almost immediately you will arrive at Pont-yr-allt Mill. 
Here you turn to the right on a cart-way alongside the river. 
As soon as you enter the meadow you will see to your right, 
in front, some distance up, a clump of trees with an arbor 
vitse at the corner of it. Make for this clump, crossing a 
little mill-race by a bridge, and on nearer approach you will 
observe that it is guarded by railings. In the centre of it is 
the well, Ffynnon Fair, with its stone- work perfect ; but 
the once famous chapel is a ruin. At this ana other wells 
clandestine marriages were sometimes performed at night, 
as existing registers show. Regaining the cart-way you 
keep near the stream, in a little while you see a re- 
markable arch in the rocks, and you are now at the foot of 
the hill-side in which Cefn Caves are situated. Keep on 
until you come to Pont Newydd (about im,), and the 
approach to the Caves will be found through a gate 



TremeircKum. RHYL. 175 

on the right on the road leading to Cefn. The Caves are 
only open on Tuesday and Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. ; and 
the charge for admission is 3d. each person. Drivers must 
apply for a special permit, in writing, to the Cefn Estate 
Office, St. Asaph. 

But there is nothing to see in the Caves when you have entered 
them! They extend a good way, and they are interesting because 
of what was in them. Mr. Boyd Dawfcins gives a lull description 
of them in his book on "Cave Hunting," and it is sufficient to say, 
speaking of the Cefn Caves generally, that human remains of 
great antiquity, and remains of the bear, hyaena, bison, reindeer, 
&c, were found. " It is evident, from the presence of numerous 
bones gnawed by hyaenas, that the valleys of the Clwyd and Elwy 
were the favourite haunts of that animal in the pleistocene age." 

The view from the hill is exceedingly lovely, reminding 
one of a valley of the Waldenses. You stand at some height 
above the river Elwy, and on the opposite bank see Dolben, 
a beautifully-situated mansion. In making for St. Asaph, 
if you choose to walk there, you return to the road for Cefn 
and turn to the right. The road, which passes near Cefn 
Hall, and skirts the park (to the left of it) for more than half 
a mile, will take you to St. Asaph in about three miles. Cefn 
Hall is the residence of Mrs. Williams Wynn, mother of Sir 
Watkin, and widow of Colonel Williams Wynu, M.P. [Some 
pedestrians may like to cross the Elwy from Cefn Caves and 
walk past Gallt-faenan to Denbigh (about 5 m.) through 
Henllan, mentioned on page 183, and by Gallt-faenan also 
they might return to Trefnant]. 

Trefnant Is also the starting plaoe for other interesting caves, 
near Tremeirchion. From Trefnant station the road over the 
railway leads direct, ascending most of the way, to Tremeirchion 
(2J m.). The little chapel on the summit of a lofty and precipi- 
tous hill, in front of you as you ascend, is the chapel of St. 
Beuno' s Catholic College, and vividly recalls similar scenes in the 
Catholic countries of the continent. For the Caves you turn to 
the right, near the village, on a road which leads from Dyserth, 
before ascending the steep hill-side on which Tremeirchion 
stands. In five minutes the entrance to BrynbeHa, the house 
which Mrs. Piozzi built, Is passed, and in another Ave minutes 
you are at Ffynhon Beuno Inn, where the key is kept, both for 
the well {Ffynnon Beuno), which is on the left of the house, and 
the Caves, to whioh a rough road leads from the inn yard. The 
well Is a bath, but is not used now. The Caves— there are two, 
one above the other— wind for some distance into the rock, 
but, like the Cefn Caves, are only interesting because of what 
was found in them. The explorations resulted in the dis- 
covery of the bones of reindeer, rhinoceros, and other animals, 
and a quantity of charcoal, which was perhaps used for cooking 
food. Some of the bones, we believe, were removed to the British 
Museum. Returning from the Caves, the visitor would probably 
be allowed to pass into Brynbella park at the lodge gate close to 
Ffynnon Beuno, and walk past the house (perhaps, if the owner 



170 RHYL. DysertIL 

is away, to enter it) to the other lodge, from which a steep road 
runs up to Tremeirchion. The church contains two ancient effi- 
gies, one of which has been described, without proof, as that of 
Dafydd Ddu Hiraddug, said to have been vicar of the place, poet 
and prophet, 550 years ago; another effigy, and an interesting 
churchyard cross, are now at St. Beuno's College. At the school 
is a bell that was formerly rung, according to an old Welsh 
funeral custom, before the coffin on its way to burial. St. Beuno's 
College is a mile from Tremeirchion, along the Dyserth road, and 
soon after you start the little chapel crowning the hill above you 
looks more imposing than ever. It is a fine walk, along this ele- 
vated road, which might be followed to Cwm and Dyserth; but 
about a mile and a half from Tremeirchion a road runs down in 
2\ m. to St. Asaph. The castle passed near St. Beuno's College is 
a modern building. 

To Dyserth and Newmarket. 

Dyserth is 2}m. from Rhuddlan, 2f from Prestatyn ; and 
it is 3£ miles from Rhyl, by the road leading over the Glad- 
stone Bridge. If you go from Rhuddlan the pleasantest way 
is through Bodrhyddan Park, and you can sometimes gain 
admission, we believe, to the house (where Dean Shipley 
lived), to see the collection of ancient armour and weapons. 
From Prestatyn the road is through Meliden (half way), aiid 
past the Talar Goch lead mine. Dyserth lies at the foot 
and on the slopes of Mod Hiraddug, which is worth ascend- 
ing for the peep into Snowdonia and down the Vale of 
Clwyd. The church of Dyserth possesses some interesting 
features ; notably the fine east or so-called " Jesse Window, 
said to have been brought from Basingwerk Abbey ; but, if 
we may believe local evidence, the relics of abbeys found in 
churches, counted up, would have filled all the monastic 
buildings in Wales that we know of three times over. The 
carved cross in the churchyard is of great antiquity, and the 
guesses at its origin deserve little credence. A little beyond 
the church, and opposite to the inn, is the Waterfall, which 
rushes down a cleft in the rocks ; a building beside it mars 
its beauty, and gives it an artificial look. 

In the diary of his Welsh tour in 1774 Dr. Johnson speaks of this 
place. The Doctor seems to have been In a particularly surly fit 
that day, and professed to be gratified with the very drawback 
that causes disappointment in other tourists. He says— "We went 
to see a cascade; I trudged unwillingly [that's where the shoe 
pinched, no doubt; the Doctor never liked walking], and was not 
sorry to find it dry. The water was, however, turned on, and pro- 
duced a very striking cataract. They are paid a hundred pounds 
a year for permission to divert the stream to the mines. The 
river, for such it may be termed, rises from a single spring, 
which, like that of Winifred's, is covered with a building." 

Half a mile from the village lies Dyserth Castle, or rather 
portions of what was a castle. We pass it, a little to our 
left, on the way from Prestatyn, which, for the Castle, is the 



Newmarket. RHYL. 177 

nearest station. The position of this old Norman strong- 
hold is commanding, but the imagination must be largely 
drawn on to convert the ruin into anything like a place of 
defence. It is said to have been fortified by Henry III. in 
1241, and to have been destroyed by Llewelyn ap Gruffydd 
twenty years after. To the south of the castle we see the 
ivy-covered ruins of Siamber Wen (the White Chamber), the 
origin and purpose of which, as well as the significance 
of its Welsh name, are obscure. Ffynnon Am (St. Asaph's 
Well), the spring which Dr. Johnson refers to, lies about 
a mile and a half from Dyserth, and is found by following 
the Newmarket road until it forks near a mineral railway, 
then keeping to the right, and taking the second turn to the 
left, when a mill will he reached, with a great wheel which 
the once sacred water now turns. The well is close behind 
the house, and is simply remarkable for the volume. of water 
which it throws up. If there was a building over it in Dr. 
Johnson's time, it has entirely disappeared ; and Dr. John- 
son was wrong in supposing that the river which forms the 
fall arose from this "single spring." We are here about a 
mile and a half from Cwm, a prettily-situated village to the 
south, and we are a mile from Newmarket, which is about 2$ 
miles along the high road from Dyserth. The last name is 
derived from the Latin desertum, and meant a solitude in the 
especial sense of a hermitage. It occurs near Welshpool 
and Builth, and was the old name of the parish of Llan- 
sant-ffraid Glan Conway ; and it is common in Ireland in its 
Irish form of diseart, which is best known to Englishmen 
under the Scotch spelling Dysart. 

Newmarket is three miles or a little more from 
Prestatyn station by road, but walkers can cut off a corner. 
The road lies quite straight through the village and up the 
steep hill-side. A ruined telegraph station (with a fine view) 
is passed, and half way to Newmarket we reach the village 
of Gwaunysgor, where antiquaries may like to turn aside to 
the ancient church with its beautiful window. A floriated 
cross is built into one of the walls ; and modern coffin-plates 
are hung up at this church, as at some others in Wales. 
The registers, dating from 1538, are the oldest in the diocese. 
The road runs on straight through the village, and when 
Newmarket Cop is almost reached a path will be seen which 
leads by the base of it to Newmarket. To the left of the 
path are the ruins of Ffynnon Wen, a well with a pointed 
stone roof, and slight remains of other buildings. 

Newmarket Cop should be ascended for Its antiquarian Interest, 
and the extent of sea and land which it commands. The great 
tumulus on the summit — a landmark for miles around, with Its 
fringe of trees— ts said to be the largest hut one In the kingdom. 



178 RHYL. The Cop. 

Bound its Welsh name, Copa 'r Leni, has gathered a certain 
amount of what may be called " antiquaries' folk-lore." It was 
suggested by Pennant that the Leni might be neither more nor 
less than the Latin genitive Paviini, bodily transferred into the 
Welsh language, case-inflection and all!— -as to which one may 
remark en passant that the form invariably assumed by that 
Latin name in Welsh, and preserved in South Wales, is Pevlinl 
Then who could this Paullnus possibly be but Suetonius Paulinus, 
the conqueror -alike of Boadicea and of Anglesey? This seems to 
be the sole origin of the current stories that either some oi the 
Ordovices— the great North-Welsh tribe whose name survives in 
Dinorvrig, near Carnarvon, formerly written Din Orddwig—or Queen 
Boadicea herself was buried in the Cop! It does not really much 
matter which: one will in such a ease do just as well as the 
other; but we may venture to point out that the great queen's 
kingdom and the theatre of her exploits lay some way from here — 
in what is now Essex and East Anglia! The same type of etymolo- 
gist has also found the name of another great Roman general, 
Agricola, in these parts. A certain pass over the Clwydian range, 
just south of Foel Fenlli (see page 188), is or was called Bwlch Agric 
or the like, and this has, since Pennant's time, been made in 
his book, on ordnance maps, and elsewhere, into Bwlch Agricola, 
or Agricola's Pass; as to which one may observe that the Welsh 
form assumed by the Latin name Agricola is perfectly well 
known, and in the 10th century is found written Aircol, and later, 
Aergwl. But to return to the Cop, of course we find the Teutonic 
word Cop or Kop, &c. (early borrowed by the Welsh under the 
forms cop, copa, &c), at Mow Cop in Cheshire, and Wyle Cop in 
Shrewsbury, as well as all over South Africa, and Leni has been 
supposed to be a corruption of goleuni (light), the theory being 
that the Cop was used as a beacon. 

The tumulus on Newmarket Cop was recently explored, with no 
results of any particular interest. Not far from the tumulus is a 
cave, discovered while the exploration was going on, and in the 
cave were found a great quantity of human remains, pottery of 
the bronze age, and a curious flint implement, which has puzzled 
the antiquary. One spot about here goes by the name of Bryn-y- 
saethau— the Hill of Arrows; and in the vicinity we have also 
Bryn-y-lladfa— the Hill of Slaughter, and Pant-y-gwae — the Hol- 
low of Woe, all pointing to a battle or series of battles; and be- 
tween here and Caerwys tumuli abound. It was in this locality, 
too, that a golden torques (in Welsh called eurdorch) was found, 
which was bought by the Earl of Grosvenor of the day for £400. 

Newmarket Churchyard contains a lofty stone cross, one of 
the most perfect left in Wales. In connection with the 
church a charity is recorded, with curious conditions as to 
its distribution. In 1712 Mr. Wynne (the owner of the 
whole village) left " the interest of £5, for the purchase of 
flannel, for four old men and women," and the applicants 
were to draw lots, or " throw dice in the church porch !" 
From Newmarket a walk of about six miles would lead us, 
past Llyn Helyg, a large sheet of water, to Caerwys ; and a 
mile from the village we should find a railway station. On 
our way to the railway, we could make a detour to visit 
Maes Mynan — a place famous for once having been a resi- 
dence of the last native Prince of Wa,le.s, and pleasant for 
a stroll. 



Maen-y-chwyfan. RHYL. 179 

To Mostyn, The Garreg:, and Maen-y- 

chwyfan. 

Another journey along the Chester line is to Mottyn 
(10 m.), to visit Mostyn Park, Maen-y-chwyfan, and Garreg 
Hill, where there is a curious building, about which anti- 
quaries have disputed, the advocates of a " Roman Pharos " 
theory having been met by the crushing reply that the style 
of architecture shows it is less than 400 years old, and that it 
was once a windmill. Mostyn Park is entered opposite the 
station ; in a few minutes the hall is reached ; and, if the 
family are away admission may be obtained to see the man- 
sion and its collection of curious and interesting objects (p. 
107). From here our way lies over a bridge which crosses 
the drive from the station, and we walk for something like 
two miles through the pleasant park, amongst ancient trees, 
covered by luxuriant ivy. After passing two or three lodges 
we come out on the Whitford road, within two or three 
minutes' walk of that village (left), but the lane for the 
Garreg runs on, almost opposite the gates, towards the hill 
which we see before us covered with trees. The lane is a mile 
long, and at the end of it, if we walk straight across the road 
into which it runs, and look over a gate, we see, standing in 
a field, a rare and remarkable stone. The Maen-y- 
chwyfan is 11 feet 3 inches high — a column supporting a 
wheel cross, all the four sides being covered with ornamenta- 
tion. The stone is of considerable antiquity, and is fullyde- 
scribed in the Rev. Elias Owen's Old Stone Crosses. [For 
Pennant's writing of its name, Maen Ackwynfan (the Stone 
of Lamentation) there is no authority]. It is two miles and 
a half from Newmarket, and we see the Cop before us, with 
a road, marked as Sam Hwlcin on the ordnance map, run- 
ning towards it. Now if we return to the lane, a path at once 
leads up to the Garreg tower ; and before we enter the wood we 
look across the Dee at the chimneys and spires of Liverpool, 
up the river, where Beeston Castle is a prominent object, 
and to the south-west, for a view of the Snowdonian moun- 
tains. The tower is close to us, concealed by the trees ; to 
the left of a path which runs on through the wood and by 
which we might find our way to Whitford. 

The lane we reach on the other side of the hill by this path 
must be followed, to the left, for some distance, and then, beyond 
a farm, a path leads, right, into a road, and we turn down It to 
the village. We pass Whitford Church, where Pennant was buried, 
and keep on along a pretty road for half a mile, to Downing, where 
he lived, a delightful residence, now belonging to, though not 
occupied by, Lord Denbigh. Here a notable Romano-British in- 
scribed stone is to be seen near the house. The drive from Down- 
ing, through the beautiful grounds, loins the road about one mile 



180 DENBIGH. To Denbigh. 

and three quarters from Mostyn station, and the whole walk from 
the Qarreg is about three miles and a half, but the drive is not 
open to the public. A road from Whltford skirts the park on the 
east, turns to the left near one of the lodges, and to the right about 
a mile further. In descending the hilly road through Mostyn Til- 
lage, a turn to the left is the nearest way to the station. 

Rhyl to Denbigh. 

We have already travelled oyer the first part of the Vale 
of Clwyd Railway, which connects Rhyl with Denbigh (pp. 
171, 173). Passing Rhuddlan Castle and St. Asaph Cathedral, 
we reach Trefnant, to which our rambles extended from 
Rhyl ; and before leaving TrefnarU station, if we look sharp 
to the left, we shall see, amidst trees on the hill-side, Bryn- 
bella (p. 175). We are now in the county of Denbigh, and in 
three miles reach the county town, passing on our left the 
village of Bodfari, pleasantly situated in a break in the 
Clwydian range of hills ; and then, on the same side, the 
woods of Llewenni, where the celebrated Mam Cymru lived. 

The story of "Mam Cymru," the "Mother of Wales," is this:— 
Catherine de Berain was the third wife of Maurice Wynn. By her 
first husband, Salusbury, heir of Llewenni, she had a son, Thomas, 
who was executed for Babington's plot in 1587. Her second son, 
known as " The Strong," succeeded. Her second husband was Sir 
Richard Clough; by him she had two daughters: one married 
Wynn of Melai, and the other Salusbury of Bachegraig (and from 
this marriage descended Mrs. Piozzi). Catherine's third husband, 
Maurice Wynn, we have mentioned. Her fourth, who survived 
her, was Edward Thelwall. The story goes that after the funeral 
of her first husband she left the church in the company of Maurice 
Wynn, who there and then offered her marriage. She declined, 
on the ground that, on her way to church, she had accepted 8ir 
Richard Clough! However, she promised when there was a va- 
cancy to marry Wynn, and, as we have seen, she lived to perform 
her promise! But it is a very old story, and will be found in the 
"Hundred Merry Tales" mentioned in "Much Ado About Nothing." 

The line from Chester, Mold, and Wrexham (p. 189), 
unites with the line we are travelling on before Denbigh is 
reached. 



EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road. — Owaenynog, 14 m., Whitchurch, 1, Llangwyfan 
Church, 5, Llanrhaiadr Church, 2&, Llanynys Church, 4, 
Henllan, 2, Llansannan, 8, Llanrwst, 21, Nantglyn, 4, Pen- 
trevoelas, 17 (through Nantglyn, 18). For ascent of Moel 
Fammau see under Ruthin. 

By Rail.— Llanrhaiadr, 4 m., Rhewl, 8, Ruthin, 7, Corwen, 
19, Llangollen, 29, Bala, 31, Dolgelley, 48, Barmouth, 57, St. 
Asaph, 6, Rhuddlan, 8, Rhyl, 12, Bodfari, 4, Mold, 16, Wrex- 
ham, 28, Chester, 30. [Parts of a mile beyond a small frac< 
ttan are counted as whole miles}. 



The Castle* DfiNBlGtt. 181 

DENBIGH is built on a hill, and it is a stiff ascent from 
the station to the Castle, a walk of a quarter of an 
hour or more. The town, which is of ancient date, and has 
a population of 6,439, has a good deal in itself and its sur- 
roundings to interest the intelligent visitor. 

From the station, bend to the left and climb the steep 
street, until you reach the principal part of the town, which 
has a quaint appearance, and contains two or three hotels 
of ancient date. Pass up the wide High Street, turn to the 
left, up Tower Hill, a narrow side street, ascend to the 
Burgess Gateway, and, passing through it, make your way 
to the great gate of the Castle. The Burgess Tower, with 
a circular tower, springing from the square base, is de- 
scribed by Mr. Loftus Brock as perhaps the most pro- 
nounced example of the kind in the Principality. Except 
the great gateway, which is a very fine structure, the ruins 
of the Castle (admission 2d.) are not particularly beautiful 
in themselves, but the walls can be ascended, and they com- 
mand a beautiful view of the Vale of Clwyd. 

The Castle, which was a very extensive building, was built on 
the site of an earlier fortress by Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, 
in the reign of Edward I., and after various vicissitudes became 
the property of the Crown. It figured in the Cromwellian wars; 
was a place of refuge for Charles I. in 1645, was captured by the 
Parliamentary forces in 1646, and was finally destroyed by order 
of Charles II. The tower which is reached by ascending the steps 
immediately after entering the Castle and walking a little way 
along the walls is the one which Charles I. occupied in 1645, and 
is still called " ChaTles's Tower" ; it was formerly the great kit- 
chen. The banqueting hall is also pointed out on the same side 
as Charles's Tower, but the Castle is so completely ruined that 
is difficult to identify its various parts. In an apartment near 
the entrance there is a small collection of curious tiles, Ac, whict 
have been discovered from time to time. 

Close to the Castle stands the ancient church of St. Hilary, 
now dilapidated, where once masses were said for the soul 
of Henry de Lacy ; and on the same hill we have the walls 
of what was possibly intended for a cathedral, instead of 
St. Asaph, and is said to have been the first Protestant place 
of worship begun in the kingdom. This was in 1579, and the 
Karl of Leicester, who left the work unfinished, was the 
builder. It is also said that a sum of money was collected 
to finish the building ;but the Earl of Essex, passing through 
Denbigh, borrowed the money, and forgot to return it. 

The Goblin Tower, so called because " the only son of 
Henry de Lacy fell headlong into it, and lost his life," is 
found by turning to the right on leaving the great gate- 
way of the Castle, crossing a stile, and descending a path 
wbich soon crosses a carnage drive. The path passes be- 
tween the tower and an ancient bath, which has gained a 



182 fcBNfctGfi. Dr. Joknton. 

reputation for the cure of various diseases. By still follow- 
ing the path, past Howell's School, the station is reached. 

Near the railway station are the remains of a Carmelite 
Priory, founded about the time when Henry de Lacy was 
building the Castle. From the station turn to the left, pass 
under the railway bridge, turn left, and in a few score yards 
to the right, by a road which runs (to the left of a white 
house) to some buildings in which the remains of the Priory 
are included. Going round the building, you will see one 
or two of the old windows. 

So much for ancient Denbigh. In a cottage within the 
modern limits of the Castle grounds, and immediately to the 
right of the great gateway, Sir H. M. Stanley, or, to give 
him his original name, John Henry Bowlands, the African 
traveller, was born. The cottage was recently demolished 
to make room for a tennis court. Stanley's mother died a 
few years ago at Bodelwyddan. Adjoining the Castle is a 
bowling green, to which the visitor is admitted on applica- 
tion to the caretaker, who lives hard by the Castle gate. 

Gwaenynog and Dr. Johnson's Monument. 

It is a pleasant walk of a mile and a half to Gwaenynog, 
one of the places in North Wales which was visited by Dr. 
Johnson. It was an ancient seat of the Myddeltons, and in 
the neighbouring fields the " Great Lexicographer " — as 
Becky Sharp's first mistress loved to call him — occasionally 
strolled ; so to his memory Mr. My d del ton, the resident at 
the time, set up a monument with a Grecian urn, and an 
inscription, "This spot was often dignified by the presence 
of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., whose moral writings, exactly 
conformable to the precepts of Christianity, gave ardour to 
Virtue and confidence to Truth." The Doctor, it will be 
remembered, was not very well pleased with the compli- 
ment. "Mr. Myddelton's intention," he wrote to Mrs. 
Thrale, " looks like an intention to bury me alive. I would 
as willingly see my friend, however benevolent and hospit- 
able, quietly inurned. Let him think, for the present, of 
some more acceptable memorial." 

We will describe the way from the Castle gateway. Turn to the 
left by a wall; when a road is reached turn left for a few 
yards, then right, and soon left by a path which leads across 
fields Into a road. There turn to the right, and soon to the right 
again through an Iron gate, and keep straight on, past a large 
house, until, in about ten minutes from the gate, you reach a cot- 
tage on the left (where refreshments are provided). On the other 
side of the cottage, over the door, is the following inscription .- 

Around this homely cot this humble shed 
If health If competence and virtue tread 



Excursions. DENBIGH. 183 

Though no proud Column grace the gaudy door 
Where sculptur'd elegance parades it o'er 
Nor pomp without nor pageantry within 
Nor splendid show nor ornament is seen 
The swain shall look with pity on the great 
Nor barter quiet lor a king's estate 

1768. 

One guide hook says the lines were written by Dr. Johnson. If 
so, they must be extracted from some of his works. That they 
were not written " on the spot " may be gathered from the fact 
that the Welsh tour was accomplished in 1774, whereas the lines 
are dated 1768. In the cottage used to be shown a chair, in which, 
it was said, the Doctor meditated. The chair was removed to 
Gwaenynog and afterwards sold for £75 and taken away. 

Keeping on past the cottage, in five minutes a field is reached, 
and Dr. Johnson's Monument is seen on the left, in a pretty situa- 
tion, overshadowed by great trees, and near a pleasant stream. 
Woods are all about. " We saw the wood, which is diversified and 
romantic," says the Doctor in his diary. There is a background 
of hills, and Johnson showed his good taste by being " delighted to 
stand here and recite verses." 

The return to Denbigh can be made by way of Gwaenynog man- 
sion, where Dr. Johnson was entertained. From the stile by which 
the field is reached turn to the right and keep up the field, soon 
bending to the left under three or four trees. Presently pass 
through a gate to the right of a large pool, reach another gate, and 
then turn right, pass through the stable yard of Gwaenynog and 
an arched gateway, go down the principal drive, and turn to the 
right by a road which takes you to the town, and past St. Mary's 
Church to the station. 

To Pentrevoelas and Llansannan. 

Gwaenynog might be Included in a walk to Nantglyn by keeping 
straight on from the stile near Dr. Johnson's Monument, and pre- 
sently crossing the stream by a bridge, and so reaching the road 
and turning to the right. Nantglyn (4 m. from Denbigh) is a beau- 
tifully -situated village, where three famous Welshmen— William 
Owen Pughe, his son, Aneurin Owen, and Robert Davies (known 
chiefly as Bardd Nantglyn)— were buried, and Mrs. Jordan, the 
actress, was born; and a long tramp in the same direction leads 
past Llyn Llymbran, and near Llyn Aled and Llyn Alwen, to 
Pentrevoelas— a walk amongst the Hiraethog Hills. The direct 
road from Denbigh is that which passes the entrance to Gwaen- 
ynog, mentioned in the last paragraph. The distance is seventeen 
miles, and the drive is invigorating, much of it on high ground 
through hilly solitudes, where you see few signs of life, except 
sheep, and here and there perhaps a number of mountain ponies, 
and the views of Snowdonia, commanded at various points, are 
very fine. The same road for the first few miles leads to Llansan- 
nan (8 m.), but a better driving road runs through Henllan (where 
the steeple is detached from the church and stands on higher 
ground). In this drive, to see Bwrdd Arthur you turn to the left 
about 7 miles from Denbigh, immediately before crossing a bridge, 
with, a hamlet beyond. Follow the lane for a little distance, and 
pass through a gate on the left, and ascend by a road through the 
trees, and then by a path to the toT> of the hill, which commands 
a view of Snowdon. The flat-topped rock on the left is Bwrdd 
Arthur ("Arthur's Table"). The " uwenty-four seats" mentioned 
t>y Cliffe are not easily discovered. Rejoining the high road, 
we have a pleasant walk or drive up the valley of the Aled 
to Uansannan, passing a large house, Dyflryn Aled, now a private 



184 DENBIGH. Church*. 

asylum. At the entrance to the Tillage of Llansannan is a memo- 
rial erected to Ave Welsh worthies, horn in or near the village. It 
is a good road to Llansannan, hut the village is in a great hollow, 
and the roads beyond, to Llanrwst and elsewhere, are very steep, 
and not to be commended to cyclists. A few miles from Llansan- 
nan are two waterfalls, hut of these and lakes in the neighbour- 
hood we say something further on. (See Rhaiadr Mawr in index). 

Churches of the Vale of Clwyd. 

Whitchurch, a mile from Denbigh station, and seen 
from the train, on the east of the line, is the old parish 
church of Denbigh, where lie buried such notable men as 
Humphrey Llwyd, the Welsh historian, and Twm o'r Nant 
(Thomas Edwards), the writer of witty dramatic " Inter- 
ludes," who was born at Pen Porchell, not far from Henllan ; 
and there are monuments of other worthies, including a 
monumental brass, representing Richard, the father of the 
famous Sir Hugh My dd el ton, with Jane, his wife, kneeling at 
an altar, with their nine sons and seven daughters posed 
behind them. Sir Hugh's birthplace is near Denbigh. 

Lla.n|£wyf a.n, in the same direction (5 m. from Den- 
bigh), is a very small structure, remarkable for the view 
from the churchyard. Seated on a tombstone under the 
shade of one of the five ancient yew trees, we can see the 
Vale from end to end — from the sea up to the Eyarth rocks. 

The Church at LI an rhaiadr, on the west of the rail- 
way (2£ m. from Denbigh, and 1 m. from Llanrhaiadr 
station), is remarkable for its Jesse Window, which was 
hidden in the ground during the troublous times of Charles 
I. Some of the monuments in the church are curious, not- 
ably that of Humphrey Jones in his court dress, and Maurice 
Jones in a kneeling posture, under a canopy, supported by 
kneeling figures. Near the church is a well called Ffynnon 
Ddyfnog, which at one time seems to have made the place a 
little Bethesda ; and patients propitiated Providence by 
votive offerings towards the erection of the Jesse Window. 

A curious stoTV is told concerning the subject of one monument 
in the church. The lady, whose memory it preserves, was in her 
lifetime an ardent Methodist and social reformer, and when, nearly 
half a centurv after her death, for some reason— why, we never 
near ci— ner coffin happened to be opened, the body was found to 
be as fresh as on the day of burial. Nay, it is even said that the 
flowers which had been laid with the body were fresh, too, and 
threw out a fragrant odour. Of course the story is incredible, but 
in 1841, when the body was again examined after three more years 
of interment, the parish clerk says he saw it still unchanged; and 
the Mayor of Ruthin vouched for the fact. 

In the Church at LI any ny 3 (anciently called Llan- 
saeran, from its patron saint), on the east of the railway 
(nearly 1 m. from Llanrhaiadr station), is still preserved a 



Distances. RUTHIN. 185 

pair of dog-tongs, and the many tooth-marks on them show 
what a lively time the congregation must have had when 
they were used. In the churchyard there is one yew tree so 
large (and therefore so old) that in the shell there is a cham- 
ber a dozen feet high, and commodious in proportion. 

Denbigh to Ruthin. 

Between Denbigh and Llanrhaiadr station (3£ m.j we 
see, on the left, first Llangwyfan, and then, nearer, Llan- 
dyrnog Church. Between Llanrhaiadr and Rkewl (5 m. 
from Denbigh) three other churches are seen — Llangynhafal, 
a good way off, Llanynys, near the line, and Llanychan 
(only 42 feet by 18), just before we reach Rhewl, which is 
the nearest station to Moel Fammau ; but perhaps Ruthin 
is the best point for the ascent. The Clwydian range of 
hills rises on our left all the way from Rhyl to Ruthin. 



IRutbin. 

EXCURSIONS AND X> I 8 T A N C E 8 . 

By Road— Moel Fammau, 5 m. or 2 h., Loggerheads Inn 
(over Bwlch Pen B arras), 6, Mold, 8), Bhyd-y-mwyn station, 
▼la Loggerheads, 10, Rhyd-y-mwyn station, over Moel Fam- 
mau, 10, Llangollen, 13, Cerrig-y-drudion, 13. 

By Rail.— Corwen, 12, Llangollen, 23, Bala, 24, Dolgelley, 
41, Barmouth, 51, Rhewl, 2, Llanrhaiadr, 3, Denbigh, 7, St. 
Asaph, 13, Rhuddlan, 15, Rhyl, 18, Bodfari, 11, Rhyd-y- 
mwyn, 20, Mold, 23, Chester, 36, Wrexham, 34. 

RUTHIN, a pleasant little town of 2,641 inhabitants, 
stands on a hill in the Vale of Clwyd. Five minutes' 
walk takes the traveller from the station to the quaint 
Square on the summit of the hill, and then the Castle is 
near, on the left, and St. Peter's Church, on the right. 
" Mr. Keep, when he heard I was a native of North Wales," 
says Mrs. Piozzi, " told me that Aw wife was a Welsh woman, 
and desired to be buried at Ruthin. ' So/ says the man, 
* I went with the corpse myself, because I thought it would 
be a pleasant journey, and indeed I found Ruthin a very 
beautiful place.' " Ruthin is a quaint town, and has some- 
thing of a foreign look. There is one restored house in the 
Square where you can see dormer windows at four different 
elevations in the roof, and you wonder how, in the name 
of architecture, the interior is arranged. The large stone 
which stands in the Square is Maen Huail, on which, ac- 
cording to tradition, Huail, son of Caw, and eldest brother 
of Gildas the historian, was beheaded by order of Arthur; 
but our earliest authority, a 12th-century writer, places the 
scene of Huail's death in the Isle of Man, and all early 
authorities connect him and his family with Strathclyde. 



186 RUTHIN. The Castlt. 

Much of Ruthin Castle, the residence of Colonel Corn* 

wallis West, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, is new, but 

some portions of the ancient structure remain. Visitors 

are admitted to the grounds on ringing the bell, and a turn 

to the right, after entering, leads to the old remains. 

In the Charter Rolls of the 10th of Edward I. (1282) there is a 
grant of the Castle of Ruthin, with the whole cantred of Deffreii- 
olut (i.e., Dyffryn Clwyd) and Englefield (i.e., Tegeingl, comprising 
all Flintshire north of Mold and Hope), to Reginald de Grey; 
whence the title of Lord Grey de Ruthin, to distinguish him from 
another branch of the descendants of Walter de Grey, who was 
chancellor in the reign of King John, and afterwards Archbishop 
of York. Owen Glendower and General Mytton figure in the his- 
tory of the Castle, as in that of so many strongholds in Wales, and 
it was dismantled in the Cromwellian wars. 

St. Peter's Church, which '* was madie collegiate and 
parochial " by John, son of Reginald de Grey, mentioned 
in connection with the Castle, has a Perpendicular roof, orna- 
mented with nearly 500 different devices ; the church has been 
greatly altered by modern restoration, and a graceful spire 
has taken the place of a plain square tower. The cloisters 
adjoining the church recall the old conventual foundation. 
Christ's Hospital was founded in the time of Elizabeth by 
Dr. Gabriel Goodman, Dean of Westminster, whose birth- 
place is pointed out in the Square. 

Many people who scarcely know where Ruthin is are familiar 
with the name from seeing it on Ellis's Mineral Waters. At Messrs. 
Ellis and Son's Works all the operations for producing the aerated 
waters which are now so popular can be seen to perfection, and it 
will give some notion of the extent of the business to state that 
the bottle store-room sometimes contains 120 tons weight of empty 
bottles! The water itself is obtained from a deep crystal spring 
at the works, quite independent of the town supply; ana the 
hampers and cases in which the manufactured article is sent out 
are made on the premises. The productions of these works carry 
the name of Ruthin not only through the kingdom, but pretty well 
round the world. We believe visitors can obtain permission to 
view the works, where they will be able to judge for themselves 
of the care and cleanliness observed through the various processes 
-of the manufacture. 

Antiquaries may like to know that if they walk a few 

miles towards Cerrig-y-drudion, and make their way on 

-to the hilly moors to the north of the road, they will find 

-circles, cyttiau, and barrows, and they may have glorious 

•views of the Merionethshire and Carnarvonshire mountains. 

Moel Fammau, 

The distance from Ruthin to the summit of Moel Fammau 
is about five miles, and the way is along the old Mold road 
to Bwlch Pen Barras, and then left up the mountain. But 
a corner can be cut off in this way. Cross the footbridge 
-on the south of Ruthin railway station, and go straight on 
from th* bridge to a footpath which runs to Llcmbedr Church. 



Mod Fammau. RUTHIN. 187 

[Avoid a turn to the left, to a house ; and when a little 
stream is crossed go straight on, though the path is not dis- 
tinct]. Follow the Mold road to the right of the church 
and take the first turn to the left, a lane which presently 
runs to the right of a house, and a little further turns left 
above another house, and soon reaches the mountain side 
(through a gate). You turn up to the left, "and pass left of 
a house where refreshments are sold. A road runs on 
amongst the hills, and at the head of the Pass, Bwlch Pen 
BarraSy there is a gate. Here ascend a few yards left of a 
fence. After a while a well-marked path leads out of the 
green road which you are following, and from this path 
you will soon see the tower on the summit of Moel Fam- 
m&Ut and your way leading to it. It is a fine walk, with 
great stretches of heather; below, the placid vale, well 
wooded, and in the distance the mountains of Carnarvon- 
shire. Near at hand on the left are the ancient entrench- 
ments on Moel-y-gaer, and finally there is the steeper 
ascent to the tower, which is reached in about two hours 
from Ruthin. Though Moel Fammau is only 1,823 feet 
above the sea, the view is one of the most extensive in 
North Wales. There is a fine outlook over Cheshire, and 
the sea to the north ; and, beginning with Penmaen-mawr 
on the coast (north-west), the view includes (in this order) 
the range of hills up to Carnedd Llewelyn, Carnedd Dafydd 
and Braich Du, with Pen-llithrig-y-wrach in front of it, 
Elidyr Fawr (above Llanberis), Y Garn, Tryfan, the 
Glyders, Snowdon, Moel Siabod, Moel Hebog, Cnicht (near 
the Pass of Aberglaslyn), Moelwyn, Rhinog Fawr, Arenig, 
Diphwys, Cader Idris, the Arans, the Berwyns, Moel For- 
fydd, Moel-y-gamelin, and Cyrn-y-brain, near Llangollen, 
and the Shropshire Wrekin. Possibly the Isle of Man and 
the mountains of the Lake District will also be included. 

The tower, which forms a landmark from all the country round, 
and from almost every considerable eminence In North Wales, was 
erected by public subscription to celebrate the Jubilee of George 
HI., and consisted of a " rough stone pyramidal mass of masonry, 
one hundred and fifty feet in height, and sixty feet in diameter at 
the base," but in 1862 the column fell, and there now only remains 
an ugly ruin. There is a proposal to restore it in honour of 
Queen Victoria. Moel Fammau means the Bare Hill of the Mothers 
(some say of the Two Mothers) ; and is supposed to refer to some 
■* mighty mothers " of old Welsh mythology. 

To the Log-g-erheads, Mold, and Rhyd-y-mwyn.. 

There are various ways of descending Moel Fammau. Rhewl is 
the nearest station (about 4i miles), and lies to the south-west. 
Rhyd-y-mwyn, on the Mold and Denbigh line, is five miles to the 
north-east, and the way, through the village of Cilcain, which with 
Ita church is plainly seen from the summit, is clear, by an ob* 



188 RUTHIN. Loggerheads. 

yious path. For climbers who have ascended by another route and 
wish to descend to Ruthin, we may say that their path bears to the 
left (as they face the Vale of Clwyd), and leads into the Mold and 
Ruthin road. We will describe the descent to the Loggerhead* Inn 
(about 3& miles), and Mold (about 6£). [These places can also 
be reached from Ruthin by continuing along the road over 
Bwlch Pen Barrae, which we shall presently joinj. Descend by a 
path through the trees to the left of the Ruthin route, and reach 
a road which runs near and to the left of a pool; after a while 
cross a gate (which is marked "private"), and soon enter the Mold 
and Ruthin road and turn to the left. The road leads straight to 
the Loggerheads Inn, which bears a sign by Richard Wilson, the 
great landscape painter. There are two faces, one now very indis- 
tinct, and the legend, " We three Loggerheads be." Who the third 
is the gazer must decide. Close to the inn, which is pleasantly 
situated, opposite grey cliffs rising above the Alyn, is the entrance 
to Colomendy, where Wilson lived for some time, and died; and 
five minutes walk along the road to Mold (which is 2% miles dis- 
tant) is an arch built over one of the many stones connected with 
Arthur, Carreg Cam March Arthur, a name met with near Aber- 
dovey (p. 52, Part I.). There Is an inscription which cannot now 
be read, recording that the arch was erected to signalise the close 
of a boundary dispute between neighbouring owners. 

Some travellers will climb Moel Fammau from Mold (6$ m.). 
They go straight through the town from the station, pass the 
Loggerheads (2| m.), and in another three quarters of a mile leave 
the highway by the old road which runs almost straight on, a 
house being at the corner. After a time, a farm having been 
passed on the left, where there is a gate a little way oft* in front, 
and a rounded hill beyond it, take the green road up the valley 
on the right, and keen as straight as possible for the summit 

There Is a walk called the Leet from the Loggerheads to Rhyd-y- 
mwyn station (about 4 miles), along the banks of the little river 
Alyn, which is remarkable for its occasional disappearance. Pass 
by some white cottages, and get to the right of the stream. Yonr 
way lies first between the cliffs and the river, and presently on 
the cliff 8 high above the stream. After a while you miss the little 
river; only a dry stony bed is left. It appears again, but again 
disappears, once or twice; this spot is known in Welsh as am€p 
Alun—" the Dried-up Alyn " (p. 190). Soon after you pass the 
village of Cilcaln (seen some distance to the left) you descend 
into the valley, after crossing a stile near a cottage; presently 
pass over the Alyn by a bridge, and walk on the left of the river 
(now as regular in its habits as other streams) to the village of 
Rhyd-y-mwyn. 

Along: the Clwydian Range* 

The whole Clwydian range of hills will tempt the mountaineer 
and the antiquary. Along the range there is a series of six forti- 
fied posts, which have been partially explored, and described In 
the Arehaeologia Cambrensis (New Series, Vol. I.), to which we would 
refer the curious reader. Let the mountaineer make his way from 
Ruthin to the summit of Foel Fenlli (on the south of Bwlch Pen 
B arras), the most southerly of these posts. Then, facing north, he 
can walk with many an up and down almost to the sea shore, If 
his strength is equal to it. Otherwise there are several points of 
descent to various railway stations. The fortified mountain tops 
he will find in the following order. From Foel FenlU he reaches 
Moel-y-gaer. to the left of the direct line to Moel Fammau. the 
highest summit, to which he comes next. Continuing along the 
mountains, Moel Arthur [Nannerch station, north-east j, and Pen- 
y-cloddlau [Caerwys station, north], the most remarkable of the. 



rom Wrexham. MOLD. 189 

Entrenchments, are next visited. There is another Moel-y-gaer 
le north of Bodfarl, a Tillage in a deep depression of the moun- 
range. At Bodfarl a railway station Is found, and the traveller 
ur miles from Denbigh. Finally, there is Moel Hiraddug, close 
yserth, a hill which owes its very distinctive character to the 
that it consists of Mountain Limestone, instead of Silurian 
s, like the rest. 

Wrexham to the Vale of Clwyd. 

r e have described the line between Ruthin and Corwen 

3 art I (p. 146). But there is another line of railway 

ning from Wrexham and Chester via Mold. Start- 

from Wrexham, first by the Wrexham and Connah's 

y Railway (which is converted into one link of a 

it chain of communication between Lancashire and North 

es, by the Dee Bridge), though there is no very re- 

kable scenery in this journey, travellers will find the 

;e a pleasant one. At Cefn~y-bedd (4 m.) they will get a 

rming peep down the valley of the Alyn. At Caergiorle 

lie (formerly Bridge End) station the ruins of the castle 

seen on a mound to the left ; and Caer Estyn, an ancient 

;ish camp, is to the right. From here the pedestrian 

Id explore Hope Mountain. Passing Hope Village, the 

b station is Pen-y-fordd, where towered Moel Fammau, 

highest summit of the Clwydian range, comes in sight. 

line runs on to the Dee, past Buckley and Ha warden, 

this is a convenient approach to Hawarden Castle from 

south ; but we change at Hope Exchange (7£ m. from 

;xham), to the Chester and Denbigh line. Hope Ex- 

ige station on that line (9$ m. from Chester, past Brough- 

which has been already mentioned) is 4 miles from 

>ld. 

[old Church, restored by Sir G. Scott, is internally one 
;he finest in North Wales and some of the old stained 
8 is well preserved. Somewhere about the year 1706 
isitor to Mold thus summed up his impressions: — 

" Pretty Mold, proud people, 
Handsome church without a steeple." 

i church tower was added a few years later. In the 
rchyard Wilson, the painter, born at Penegoes, near 
?hynlleth, was buried, and his tomb is near the window 
eh has been erected to his memory. The Bailey Hill, 
ch we see to our left, is interesting as the site of an 
ient fortress, and a vantage ground from which we com- 
id a fine view. It gives the town its Welsh name of Y 
ddgrug, which means the Mound of the Grave. At 
ltrehabyn. about a mile S.E. of the town, are a series. 
' Llettys," or lodgings for the poor, erected by the ori- 



190 MOLD. Alleluia Victory. 

ginal builder of the house after the monasteries had been 
destroyed ; and Tower, 1£ m. south of the town, ha* a Peel 
tower about 500 years old. Here, as Pennant records, in the 
Wars of the Roses, during a fray, the owner hanged Robert 
Bryne, mayor of Chester, to a staple in the great hall. 

In the neighbourhood several spots attractive to the antiquary 
are to be found; notably Maes Gannon (a mile to the west), a place 
whose name means St. German's Field, commemorated by a monu- 
ment as the traditional site of the victory of the army of the 
Britons, led and heartened up by SS. German of Auxerre and 
Lupus of Troyes, over a horde of pagan— Pictish and Saxon— in- 
vaders. This victory, called " The Alleluia Victory," from the 
cries of Alleluia with which the victors charged, is mentioned by 
a writer who wrote thirty-two years after St. German's death, and 
is therefore historical. The only doubt is as to where the battle 
took place, the description of it merely pointing to a hilly or 
mountainous country. Welsh tradition places it here, and it has 
been reasonably said that though St. German, in Welsh called 
Gannon, has several Welsh and Cornish churches dedicated to him 
(four Llanarmons, St. Harmon's, near Rhayader, Llanfechain, near 
Llanfyllin, St. German's, near Plymouth, &c), this is the only 
Maes (or Field of) Qarmon, and perhaps the only place in Wales 
where maet (which occasionally means a field of battle) is prefixed 
to the name of a saint. Moreover, there was a British life of St. 
German, now lost, from which some of his British miracula (utterly 
unrecorded by the extant lives of the great saint) were extracted 
by the Welsh author of Nennius's Historia in the ninth century. 
One of them consists of a legend of a king called Benlll (known in 
Welsh tradition as Gawr, or the Giant), and tells how his fort (arx, 
the same word as is used of ancient Deganwy) was miraculously des- 
troyed (like Vortigern'9: see p. Ill, Part I.), by fire from heaven, as 
a punishment for his treatment of the saint. Now, since we have 
Benin's name preserved in Foel Fenlli, near he*fe (the fort on 
which is believed to be the arx of Nennius), and the grave of 
Bell, the son of Benlli Gawr (a " rude stone monument," des- 
troyed long ago by some accursed Vandal) was once pointed 
out, " at a spot called Maes Mawr on the mountain be- 
tween Ial (Yale) and Ystrad Alun (a district answering to 
the old parish of Mold), above Rhyd-y-gyfarthfa," it is reasonably 
inferred that very early Welsh tradition made St. German visit 
this district, and that his visit is commemorated both by the name 
Maes Garmon and by his church of Llanarmon-yn-Ial. Besides 
all this, the poetical legend of St. Cynhafal (which calls Benlli 
" Erdli Gawr") here localizes the scene of the burning of the 
giant with " wild fire," through the miracle of the saint. The 
story goes on to say that on the sufferer's repeatedly jumping into 
the Alyn to allay his agony, the indignant stream dried up three 
times at the place thence (and still) called Hesp Alun (see p. 188), 
rather than mitigate by one jot the tortures of such an old diawl 
or devil! Whereupon his thus unwettable bones were duly con- 
sumed a tee on this virtuous river's banks. 

From Mold the ascent of Moel Fammau, which is about 
6£ miles distant, can be made. The road which runs from 
the station straight through the town leads to the Logger- 
heads {see p. 188). From the next station, Rhyd-y-mwyn, 
it is a pleasant walk to Moel Fammau (5 m.), past Cilcain 
Church (3 m.), which has a magnificent oaken roof. Be- 



By Bail. RHYL TO LLANDUDNO. 191 

tween Rhyd-y-mwyn and Nannerch fine views are obtained 
of the Clwydian hills; at Caerwys station (9f m. from 
Mold) we are about a mile south of the village (see p. 178), 
and passing through a gap in the Clwydian range, Bodfari 
is reached. There the Vale of Clwyd opens out, and the 
Castle and old parish church of Denbigh (Whitchurch) are 
conspicuous objects as the train runs down to that town. 

Rhyl to Llandudno by Rail. 

The railway beyond Rhyl runs near the shore, and the 
yiew from the carriage windows is delightful. As we leave 
Rhyl we cross the Foryd bridge which carries us over the 
estuary of the Clwyd, and enter Denbighshire, and look up 
the Vale at the spire of Bodelwyddan Church, St. Asaph 
Cathedral, and Rhuddlan Castle. The Little Orme, and the 
Great Orme projecting beyond it, are seen on the right. 
Beyond Foryd station Towyn church is passed, and soon the 
train draws up at the station for Abergele and Pen-sam. 

Travelling on from Pen-sam, we have to our left Gwrych 
Castle and woods. Beyond Llysfaen the train runs through 
Penmaen Rh6s tunnel, and comes out above the shores of 
Colwyn Bay. The stations at Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, 
and Mochdre are passed in rapid succession; and as we 
travel on to Llandudno Junction, if the day is clear, we 
fhall be charmed with the glimpse up the Vale of Con- 
way and the panorama of mountains. The rounded summit 
on the left of the group is Moel Eilio ; Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, 
with its abrupt side, is to the right of Eilio ; and the highest 
point still further to the right is Carnedd Llewelyn (3,484 
feet). Foel Fras is the next rounded summit, and then 
comes the long ridge of Tal-y-fan. At Llandudno Junction 
we probably change carriages, and in the journey on to 
Llandudno we have a fine view of Conway Castle on the 
left, and see the scanty ruins of Deganwy Castle on a little 
hill to the right. The distant mountain behind Conway 
town is Pen-llithrig-y-wrach (close to Capel Curig), and 
further on, Penmaen-mawr rises boldly from the sea. Then 
Llandudno is on the left, with the Great Orme beyond. 



pensatn and Hberaele* 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road (from Pen-sar").— Gwrych Castle, 2 m., Cefn-yr- 
ogof Hill (by shore, &c), 4, Gorddyn Mawr, 3, Castell Cawr, 
2, St. George, 3, Bodelwyddan Church, 5, St. Asaph, 7J, Cefn 
Caves, 8-4j, Moelfre Isaf (walk), 4, Llanfalr Talhalarn, 6, 
Bettws Abergele, 4|, Llandulas (by shore, &c), 2J, Llysfaeu 
Telegraph (by shore, &c), 4, Denbigh (direct), about 12. 
For longer distances see paragraph on page 194. 

H 



192 PEN-SARN AND ABERGELE. An Epitaph. 

By Rail.— Khyl, 5, Chester, 35. Llandulas, 3, Colwyn Bay, 6, 
Conway, 11, Llandudno, 14. 

PEN-SARN is a small watering-place, three quarters of 
a mile from the old town of Abergele (united popula- 
tion, 2,083), and all the excursions we have mentioned 
under Rhyl are almost equally available from here. The 
drawback of Pen-sarn is that most of the lodging houses 
have no view of the sea, but it is well suited for those 
who seek repose ; it is near a low range of hills, and, with 
its expanse of sand, it is a famous place for children. 
The railway station is close to Pen-sarn, which is separated 
from the sea by the railway. 

From the station the road runs almost straight to Aber- 
gele, and near the entrance to the town steps lead up to a 
path to the churchyard, in which, as soon as it is reached, 
a tablet will be seen on a wall to the right, with the words 
" Here lieth, in St. Michael's Churchyard, a man who had 
his dwelling three miles to the north." The tablet has been 
erected to keep in remembrance " a dateless, nameless 
(Welsh) epitaph " quoted by Pennant, who refers to a tradi- 
tion (which we give in detail under Penmaen-mawr), stating 
that in old times the sea " had overwhelmed a vast tract of 
inhabited country once extending at least two miles north- 
ward." He quotes the epitaph, and adds — " But, as a better 
proof, I have observed, at low- water, far from the clayey 
banks, a long tract of hard loam, filled with the bodies of 
oak trees, tolerably entire ; but so soft as to be cut with a 
knife as easily as wax." These sites of old forests may, of 
course, be found all round the Welsh coast— at Rhyl and 
Borth, for instance. 

There are several pleasant rambles in the neighbour- 
hood. Gwri/ch Castle, the residence of Lord Dundonald, is 
about a mile from Abergele, and admission to the grounds 
may be obtained by hiring from specified persons at Aber- 
gele, Llandulas, and Colwyn Bay. The Castle is " one 
of the grandest and most picturesque places in North 
Wales," says one writer ; but much of it is more like a stage 
castle than a real one, and it is indeed an " imposing " 
structure. There is a cave, Yr Ogof (not open to the 
public), two miles along the Bangor road, or the same 
distance along the shore from Pen-sarn. and reached by 
turning up from one of the lodges of Gwrych Park, on 
which there is an inscription recording some of the famous 
events which happened (or did not happen) hereabouts. 

It was near here, according to some authorities, that (as the in- 
scription states) Richard TT. was betrayed. Lured by Northumber- 
land from Conway, he fell into the power of Bolingbroke. The 



St. George. PEN-SARN AND ABERGELE. 193 

King, as soon as be spied armed horsemen beneath the trees, put 
spurs to bis own steed, but Northumberland seized His Majesty's 
bridle with the remark that the armed and mounted men were 
only a guard of honour. 

The summit of the hill above the cave, called Cefn-yr- 
ogof on the ordnance map, should certainly be climbed for 
the view. A little way past the lodge which we have men- 
tioned a road turns to the left up a valley through which a 
stream runs to Llandulas village. From this road the 
hill can easily be ascended. There is, of course, a glorious 
sea-view, including Puffin Island and the Anglesey coast, 
and then we see the beautiful line of mountains from Pen- 
maen-mawr to Moel Siabod, with Carnedd Llewelyn, round- 
topped and hollow-breasted, crowning the range. To the 
left of it are Pen Helyg and Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, and be- 
tween them can be seen Tryfan and part of the Giyders. 
To the south of Cefn-yr-ogof, only half a mile or so away, is 
Gorddyn Mawr, where the well-marked ramparts of an 
ancient stronghold are to be seen. 

The neighbourhood of Abergele abounds in ancient en- 
campments ; in fact, the low range of hills from St. George 
to Penmaen Rhos seems to have been a chain of defences. 
One of these, Cast ell Cater (the Giant's Castle), is the hill 
covered with trees which we see from the station, to the 
left of the other hill on the slopes of which Gwrych Castle 
stands. Castell Cawr is less than a mile from Abergele, 
and a path over the fields — a very slough of despond in wet 
weather — can be found by turning to the left near the 
schools on the Bangor road. When the path leads into a 
lane turn left, and a way will be found past a quarry up to 
the entrenchments, and to a spot where you look down in 
a remarkable way upon part of the Yale of Clwyd. 

To St. George and Kinmel Park. 

It is a pleasant walk of two miles and a quarter from 
Abergele to the little village lying at the entrance to Kin- 
mel Park, St. George, which was the scene, according 
to one tradition, of the conflict between St. George and the 
Dragon ; in proof of which, marks of the horse's hoofs were 
formerly shown on the coping-stone of the churchyard wall. 
[This seems to be a modernized version of the Arthur story 
mentioned at page 52, Part I]. Another hero, Oliver Crom- 
well, is connected with Kinmel. According to local belief 
he was once there, and although the tradition has never 
been verified, there was a room in the old hall at Kinmel 
which went by the name of " Oliver Cromwell's Parlour," 



194 PEN-SARN AND ABERGELE. Camps. 

and a spur, said to have been his, is still preserved at Kin- 
mel, and is believed at one time to have hung in St. George's 
Church. 

The church is modern, having been built by Mr. Hughes 
of Kinmel in 1893; the mausoleum, which covers the re- 
mains of some of the Dinorben family, is an older struc- 
ture. In Kinmel Park, about 200 yards from the entrance 
at St. George, on the lower side of the carriage road, is a 
well, once famed for curing horses. 

From St. George the walk could be extended to Boddwyddan 
Church (2 m.), or St. Asaph (41), or past, or, with permission, 
through Kinmel Park, to u*fn Caves (8— 8i miles from Pen-sarn), 
and then another 3J miles would take us to St. Asaph station. The 
turn to the right is taken two or three minutes after Kinmel Park 
is left, and just before the Cross Foxes Inn is reached. 

Turning up the hill by St. George's Church, and soon 
passing over a stile to the right, a path would lead us to a 
wooded height above the village, the site of what the people 
call Fort Dinorben (Din means a fort). The large and ex- 
tensive ramparts here show that it was a place of consider- 
able consequence ; on the ordnance map it is called Parc-y- 
meirch. Keeping on towards Abergele, along the hills, we 
reach another camp, where the entrenchments extend for 
a considerable distance ; and, a little further, on a spur of 
the same hill, stands a ruined tower, concerning which 
nothing definite is known. Now we can descend on the 
Abergele side, noting first of all the pathway which runs 
over the fields (in about a mile) to the town. 

For a modest ascent, which gives you in clear weather a 
view of Snowdon and the surrounding giants, with Mbel 
Siabod looking particularly fine in front of them, Modfre 
Isaf (1,037 feet), almost due south of Pen-sarn, about 3£ 
miles as the crow flies, may be recommended. You can 
drive there in about five miles from Pen-sarn, or walk in 
about four. From the summit you may descend to a road 
on the south, and walk in an hour to the pleasant village of 
Llanfair Talhaiarn, where there is good trout fishing (licen- 
ces, 4s. 6d. for the season, and 2s. per week). 

Visitors bound for longer excursions from Abergele will per- 
haps find their way through Bettws Abergele (4$ m.) to Tal-y-cafn 
(16 m.); or through Llangernyw (10 m.) to Llanrwst (17 in.); or 
through Llanfair Talhaiarn (5 m.) and Llansannan (8 m.) to Den- 
bigh (16 m.). The roads are intricate, houses are scarce, and pedes- 
trians should carry a map. (For Llansannan see p. 183). In all 
these walks and drives the scenery, for the most part, is not re- 
markable, but the views of Snowdonia obtained from various 
points, and especially in descending into the Conway Valley, are 
very fine. 



196 COJ-WYN BAY. Attraction*. 

Penmaen-mawr, 10, Badgor, 20, Bethesda. 25 (road to 
Bettws-y-coed, 15J), Carnarvon, 28, Llanberis, 37. [From 
Llanberls walk or drive round Snowdon, through Pen-y- 

fwryd, 6i miles, and Beddgelert, 13|, to Snowdon station, 
Lhyd-ddu, 17J, or walk over Snowdon to Rhyd-ddu, 44 h.l. 
Snowdon station, 41, Llandulas, 4, Pen-sarn, 6, Rhyl, 11, 
Rhuddlan, 14, St. Asaph, 17, Trefnant (for Cefn Caves), 19, 
Denbigh, 22, Chester, 41. [See also excursions from Llan- 
dudno, which will serve equally well for Colwyn Bay]. 

COLWYN BAY is a new town which has sprung up within 
the last forty years, beginning, indeed, after the man- 
sion of Pwll-y-crochan had been converted into the now 
well-known hotel in 1866 ; and it was the purchaser, the late 
Mr. Porter, who gave the place its name. By 1901 the 
winter population of the Urban District, including the old 
village of Colwyn, had increased to 8,683, having nearly 
doubled in the preceding decennium. The new watering- 
place stands on a bay stretching from the headland of Pen- 
maen Rhos on the east to the Little Orme's Head on the 
north-west, a coast line of five miles or thereabouts, and it 
is no wonder that with its fine sea view, a sandy shore, and 
hills in the background which look over the Vale of Conway 
to the Carnarvonshire mountains, it continues to grow in 
favour. It is so well protected on all sides except towards 
the sea that patients are sometimes sent there in the winter, 
even from the south. It is a pleasant and picturesque town. 
The lodging houses are many of them scattered about, some 
detached, some semi-detached, the abundant trees increase 
the attractiveness of the place, and several little wooded 
dells run down to the shore. Most of the town stands on the 
other side of the railway from the sea, but a number of 
lodging houses have been built on the beach beyond the 
Colwyn Bay Hotel, one of several hotels which provide ex- 
cellent accommodation. A promenade and marine drive, 
extending for 1,440 yards in the direction of Old Colwyn 
station, and lighted by electricity, now add to the. attrac- 
tions of Colwyn Bay ; and a pier and a spacious pavilion 
have also been provided. The water is brought from Llyn 
Cowlyd, near Capel Curig. 

There is bathing, of course, and there is boating; golf, 
and hockey, and tennis in their season, and occasional con- 
certs, help to enliven the visitors ; and if they sometimes 
want the excitement of a still bigger and gayer place, train, 
horse, or boat will take them to Llandudno, which, for the 
walker, is less than half a dozen miles away. The Golf 
Links are in the fields above the Pwll-y-crochan woods, and 
may be reached by Pen-y-bryn Road, running out of the old 
Holyhead road which skirts the woods, as we state below. 
The* Pwll-y-crochan woods are a popular resort, and there 



View Point. COLWYN BAY. 197 

is a favourite walk in the grounds of the Pwll-y-crochan 
Hotel, but, except for guests staying there, permission must 
be obtained of the landlord. 

There are also lodgings and hotel accommodation at (Old) 
Colwyn y and although it stands a little distance inland 
some visitors prefer its more rural seclusion before the at- 
tractions of Colwyn Bay ; and some of the lodging houses 
are near Old Colwyn station, which stands close to the 
shore, and not far from Penmaen Rhds. The two places 
are only about a mile apart, and command the same walks 
and excursions ; but as Colwyn Bay is the larger of the two 
we take it as the starting place. Colwyn or Colwyn Bay is 
as good a centre as Llandudno for visiting the Conway Vale 
and Snowdonia. 

There are many pleasant rambles on the hills at the back 
of Colwyn Bay, and it is easy to reach lanes rich in wild 
flowers in their season. Turn up Pwll-y-crochan Avenue 
by the Wesleyan Church, a sightly building with a con- 
spicuous spire. At the top of the avenue you enter the old 
Chester and Holyhead road, opposite the entrance to the 
Pwll-y-crochan woods. [Pen-y-bryn Road, which we have 
mentioned, is some distance to the left, and the old Holy- 
head road can be reached by other roads running up from 
the town]. Turning to the right, you soon come to the 
Four Crosses, and there turn to the left on the Llanrwst 
road. In a few minutes, beyond a chapel, take a footpath 
to the right, and from this path ascend a little eminence, 
from which there is an extensive view — to the right (facing 
the sea) the coast stretching beyond Rhyl to the end of the 
Clwydian hills, to the left, Anglesey, Penmaen-mawr, Tal- 
y-fan, Foel Fras, Carnedd Llewelyn, Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, 
Craig Eryrod ; and to the left of it the ridge of Moel Siabod, 
seen by going a little further towards the sea. The walk 
could be extended up the Llanrwst road, which at some 
points commands fine views of the mountains, to Bryn-y- 
maen church (about 2k m.). Before reaching it a road to the 
left leads past Nant Uchaf (see below) to Colwyn Bay, and 
a road to the right to Mochdre station. 

Along this Llanrwst road the walk could be extended to Glan 
Conway station (by a circuitous route), by turning to the rieht 
about three quarters of a mile beyond Bryn-y-maen Church (the 
second of two roads near together), and In another three quarters 
to the left, and following the valley called on the ordnance map 
Nant-garreg-ddu. A walk can be found through the woods by the 
stream. 

For another walk follow the Colwyn road for half a mile 
(from the fountain at the top of Station Road) and then, 
where a sign-post directs you, follow a road up the valley 
known as Nant-y-glyn (on the ordnance map Nant-y-groes), 



198 



COLWYN BAY. 



Elian'l 



as far as a white house, Nant Uchaf (mentioned on! 
page), over a mile from the bridge. Immediately 
reaching the house turn to the right by a lane wb 
up hill. Soon take a footpath (622 feet) on the 1< 
which you have a view of the mountains over the 
Conway, and presently join the Llanrwst road and 
the right. Instead of following the road to Col* 
another footpath to the right (soon reached) would 
the Golf Links and so to the town. The distance ii 
of these walks is about four miles. Llysfam Ti 
Station (which has been mentioned on page 195) is 
by walking through Colwyn village to Penmaen Rl 
there bearing to the right. An omnibus runs from 
Bay to Colwyn. 

St. Elian's Well, Coed Coch, and 

Dywyil. 

We still include the mention of Nant Dywyil, soi 
called the Black Dinglo, in our description of this 
although we have received notice that the dingle is noi 
(with a special permit from the Coed Coch estate 
only to residents in the neighbouring country, and 
visitors. 

The cursing well of St. Elian was famous in timet 
by. To get at the spot we walk along the Colwyn roi 
half a mile, and cross a bridge over a dell, which i 
half a mile from Colwyn. A couple of hundred yai 
the Colwyn side of the bridge a finger-post shows th< 
to Llanelian. Go up the lane for nearly a mile and* 
it descends into a little valley. Just before we come 
bottom of the hill a narrow path through the hedge 
left will take us down to what was once a terror 
Principality. A late rector destroyed the shrine becai 
the superstition of the people, and the well is filled 
and the spot is not worth the trouble of going througl 
hedge to see, but for the associations. 

The well, Ffynnon Elian, seems to have been every whit as 
a curse as ever St. Winefrlde was a blessing to Welsh humi_ 
The tales told of It have filled one and would fill twenty volui 
In days gone by we have ourselves met with people who not 
believed in the well, but also believed that they had been ' 
into it." The process was a simple one. If yon had a spite agf 
a neighbour, all you had to do was to go to the oustodlan of 
well, pay a fee, have your enemy's name written on paper (throi 
which a pin was stuck) and thrown into the well, and he woi 
be "cursed" until he managed to get himself out. In 1818, at tl 
Flintshire Great Sessions, a man was sent to gaol for twelve 
months for obtaining money under false pretences, having taken 
a fee to " pull out of the well " a poor wretch who thought him- 
self in its accursed waters. 



Black Dingle. COLWYN BAT. 199 

From the well a quarter of a mile of stiff climbing will take 
us to Llanelian Church (530 feet), which contains some 
ancient paintings from the old rood loft, and specimens of 
wood carving. 

For Coed C6ch we keep straight through Llanelian (on 
the road by which we came), after a while cross one road, 
and keep on till we come to another, there turn to the left, 
and in about £ mile take a path to the right at the top of a 
hill, just before reaching a coppice. The path leads to a 
road, there we turn right and almost immediately have the 
gardens of Coed CSch on the left. We soon turn down the 
Park drive, and pass the flower garden, to which visitors 
are no longer admitted, but on Tuesdays and Fridays 
they are allowed to drive through the Park. Return- 
ing to the road, turn left, and follow it round the 
grounds for about half a mile. Immediately after passing 
the southern end of the grounds we turn to the right, and in 
about ten minutes to the right again by a road which runs 
for a while in the direction in which we have come. Almost 
immediately a lane on the left, past a farm, has to be fol- 
lowed, and then a path which runs down hill behind a cot- 
tage to a lane. Crossing this lane we take a path which 
leads through a wood until it crosses a stream by a wooden 
bridge. This is the Black Dingle, or, to give the proper 
Welsh name, Nant Dywyll, which means Dark {TywyU) 
not Black Dingle. [But see notification on page 198 as U. 
exclusion of visitors]. 

We can return to Colwyn Bay by a nearer way. Taking the path 
by which we came, almost immediately after crossing a stile a 
path to the left leads to a cottage and on to a lane. The way is 
now up the lane for some distance, then to the right, and in a few 
yards to the left by a ruined building, then as straight as we can 
go (avoiding any turn to the left) to a broad road, across it, 
through a farm yard, and by a lane on the left of the farm, which 
leads to Llanelian, joining the road to Coed Cdch just before the 
village is reached. The distance is— From Colwyn Bay to Llan- 
elian, 2 miles, to Coed Cdch, 4$, to the Black Dingle, 6, from the 
Black Dingle to Colwyn Bay, about 5. The shortest way to the 
Dingle may be briefly described:— Passing Llanelian, take the first 
turn to the right. Keep on for a considerable distance until, hav- 
ing passed through a farm-yard, a broad road is crossed to another 
lane. Follow this to a ruined building, turn to the right, and al- 
most immediately to the left, and keep on until there is a path 
leading into the road on both sides; take the one on the right, and 
it will lead to the Black Dingle. 

To Liandrillo, the Little Orme, and 

Llandudno. 

It is H mile to Rh6s Trllio, formerly Rhds (omnibus 
several times daily), by the footpath which turns to the 
right ever the fields, two or three minutes beyond the 
Colwyn Bay Hotel ; and at low tide there is a walk 



200 COLWYN BAY. Rhds TriHo. 

along the sands — from which a steep path ascends (im- 
mediately beyond the end of the parade) to the field 
path. A pier, 1,300 feet long r has been erected at Rhds, 
and from the pier there is a view of the big mountains, 
culminating in Carnedd Llewelyn. The pier, we be- 
lieve, was intended for the use of steam boats, but it is not 
long enough for the purpose. A fishing weir, where a fish- 
ing dog once attracted sight-seers from Llandudno, adjoins 
the pier, and beyond the weir, on the right of the road, is a 
little (restored) building, covering St. Triilo's Well. The 
old building dated perhaps from the sixteenth century. Still 
following the road, in another half-mile a farm-house will 
be reached, and from there a path near the sea leads to the 
Little Orme (about 3$ miles). The view of the Carnedd range 
of .mountains increases the pleasure of the walk. When the 
quarries on the Orme are passed there is a path to the sum- 
mit, which may be reached in an hour from Colwyn Bay. 
The Orme can be crossed to the road, and the distance to 
Llandudno by this route is about six miles. 

Other Excursions. 

For LlandriUo Church (If m.) go along the Conway road until the 
school buildings on the left are passed, and then across the rail* 
way and straight on. The notable feature of the church is its 
tower, which is remarkable for having double-stepped battlements. 
A neighbouring building, IAyn Euryn, reached by turning to the 
left on the way to the church, is still more curious. A portion of 
it, which looks in the distance like a tall chimney, will be found 
to be part of an Interesting ruin partly covered with ivy. On 
some of the photographs it is called Rhds Abbey, but its origin is 
unknown ; except that the original Uyt or palace on this site was 
possibly that Lips RMs where Maelgwn met his death (see p. 211). 
Llandudno is about four miles by road beyond LlandriUo Church. 

Bryn Euryn is the goal of a short walk. After crossing the rail- 
way on the road to LlandriUo, take a path to the left to another 
road, turn to the right and soon ascend. On the summit the signs 
of an ancient fortification are visible, and there is an extensive 
view. Turning your back on Rhds, Moel Siabod rises grandly over 
the green hills in front, Immediately to the right of it is Craig 
Eryrod, and then the rounded Moel Eilio, Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, 
Pen Helyg, Carnedd Llewelyn, Foel Fras, Tal-y-fan, Foel Litis. 
Penmaen-mawr, Conway Mountain, Anglesey, Puffin Island, and 
the Great Orme. 

Mochdre and Pabo station, two miles from Colwyn Bay on the Con- 
way side, may be made the goal of other short walks. The dis- 
tance from the station to LlandriUo Church is one mile and three 
quarters; to Llandudno five miles. [For a walk along the hills to 
Llandudno Junction see page 214]. 

There are many pleasant excursions by road or rail from Colwyn 
Bay to the Vale of Conway. Glan Conway station Is four miles by 
road, and not far away is a cromlech. Turn to the right from the 
station on the Llanrwst road. In a few minutes, where the road 
turns away from the river, a lane runs down to a brook, which is 
crossed by a bridge. Then ascend to a white house (Garth), turn 
U> the right of it, keep to the right of the next house, and follow 



Distances. LLANDUDNO. 201 

a footpath which runs at the base of a hill and crosses a large 
field to a wood. Reaching a stile at the wood, do not cross it, but 
turn to the right, and in a minute or so come to the Cromlech, not 
a good specimen, but one with an Immense capstone. Returning 
to Garth, a turn to the right would lead to a bridge (Bont Newydd), 
and crossing it, a turn to the right again might be taken for a 
pretty walk by a stream, up Nant-garreg-ddu (p. 197). Bodnant 
Hall, further up the valley (about 1J m. from Tal-y-cafn), is the 

foal of coach drives from Llandudno and Colwyn Bay (see p. 217). 
here are also drives through Abergele to the Conway Valley, Ac. 
(see p. 194. See also list of coach drives at the head of this sec- 
tion). 

Xlanbubno* 

EICUE8ION8 AND DISTANCES. 

By Water. — Steamboats to Bangor, Beaumaris, and Carnar- 
von, round the Isle of Anglesey, to Liverpool, Blackpool, 
Isle of Man, Ac, and up the river Conway to Trefriw. Boats 
round the Great Orme, and to the Caves, to Conway, to 
Little Orme, Ac. 

By Road. 

Round the Great Orme, under 54 m., St. Tudno's Church 
(from top of Mostyn-street), a little over 1, Little Orme, 
about 2, Llandrillo, about 4, Colwyn Bay station, 5J, Eglwys 
Rhds, 1J, Bryniau Tower, 1§, Gloddaeth, about 2, Deganwy 
Castle, 2J, Llandudno Junction, 3|, Conway, 4, Penmaen- 
mawr, by path and Deganwy Ferry, about 6, by road, 8$. 
Over Bodafon Hill to Pabo Hill, and past Body sg all en to 
Deganwy, about 6; another walk is from Mochdre station, 
along the hills, and past Marl to Llandudno Junction. 

Coaches run from Llandudno to Trefriw, Bettws-y-coed, the 
Swallow Fall, Capel Curlg, Llyn Ogwen, the Vale of Nant 
Ffrancon, the Bethesda Quarries, Penmaen-mawr, Aber, 
Colwyn Bay, and Bodnant Hall. Brakes and coaches also 

Sly at frequent intervals by the Marine Drive, round the 
reat Orme's Head, and past the Little Orme and Glodd- 
aeth. Some of the country through which the coaches 
pass is as fine as anything in Wales. 

Coaches also run in connection with the railway from 
various stations, the best, perhaps, being from Bettws-y- 
coed station to Snowdon station, past the Swallow Fall, 
Capel Curig, Pen-y-ewryd, Snowdon, through the lovely 
Gwynant Valley, and Beddgelert, from which Pont Aber- 
glaslyn is only 1} m. Another drive is from Bethesda sta- 
tion to Llanberls (the drive is finer in this direction than 
the reverse), passing through Nant Ffrancon, and by Llyn 
Ogwen (from which Llyn Idwal can be visited), Capel Curig, 
Pen-y-gwryd, and down the pass of Llanberls. The ascent 
of Snowdon could be most quickly made by taking train to 
Llanberls (from which the ascent can be made by rail or on 
pony-back), or to Cwellyn or Snowdon station (at Rhyd- 
ddu), but it might also be combined with a coach drive 
from Bettws-y-coed to Pen-y-pass (a mile beyond Pen-y- 

Swryd on the way to Llanberls), which is nearly 1,200 feet 
igh, and therefore takes off a third of the ascent; but 
there is a steep zig-zag, to which some climbers will object. 
The finest walk is from Pen-y-pass across the mountain to 
Rhyd-ddu, and, if coach and train suited, Llandudno could 
be reached again the same n.igfct. 



202 LLANDUDNO. Distance*. 

By Rail. 

[The distances to the places mentioned under each sta- 
tion are reckoned from that station. In railway distances 
a part of a mile beyond a small fraction is counted as a 
whole mile]. 

Conway, 5. For Castle, Ac. Through the Sychnant Pass 
to Dwy-gyfylchi, 3, and Penmaen-mawr, 4§. [A much better 
walk, ana not much further, is to reach Sychnant Pass over 
the Conway Mountain, as described under Conway]. To the 
beginning of the Sychnant Pass, and then oyer the hill- 
side to the " Druids' Circle " and down to Penmaen-mawr, 
about 7 miles. [See Conway section]. To Llangelynin Old 
Church (3$), and back to Penmaen-mawr (6£ altogether). 

Penmaen-mawr, 9. For Druids' Circle, about 1£, ascent of 
the mountain, &c. [See Penmaen-mawr excursions]. 

Zdanfair-fechan, 12. Past the Druids' Circle to Penmaen- 
mawr Tillage, about 5. Through the Bwlch-y-ddeufaen Pass 
to Tal-y-cafn, 8 J. Ascent of Carnedd Llewelyn, &c. [See 
Llanfalr-fechan excursions]. 

Aber, 14. For Falls, 3. To Bethesda over the hill, about 
5, returning by rail. 

Bangor, 19. Cathedral. Penrhyn Castle, 2. Steam Ferry to 
Beaumaris, about 4 (including 1* mile of road to Garth 
Point ferry station). 

Betheeda, 24. For Penrhyn Slate Quarries. Llyn Ogwen 
(Idwal near), 4J. Ascent of Carnedd Llewelyn, &c. [See 
Mountain Ascents]. 

Menai Bridge Station, 20. For Telford's Chain Bridge, 
Stephenson's Tubular Bridge, and Lord Anglesey's Column, 
about 2. 

Carnarvon, 27. Castle and old walls. 

Llanberis, 36. For Lakes, Quarries, Waterfall, Pass, and 
ascent of Snowdon. From Llanberis up the Pass to Pen-y- 
gwryd is 6J m., thence to Beddgelert, 7jf, and on to Snowdon 
station, 3}, or 17£ altogether. From Llanberis up the Pass 
to Bettws-y-coed, 15$. 

Cwellyn, 38, and Snowdon station, 40. Both for ascent of 
Snowdon. [See Mountain Ascents]. 

Nantlle, 36. Through the Vale to Rhyd-ddu, 6, and back 
by train. 

Holyhead, 44. For Breakwater ; South Stack Lighthouse, 3). 

Tal-ycafn, 9. For Eglwys-bach, about 1J (note the view 
from the hill near the village). Caer-hun; Porth-lwyd 
Waterfall and back, 8; and ascent of Carnedd Llewelyn. 
[See Mountain Ascents]. Llyn Dulyn, about 8, and ascent 
of Carnedd Llewelyn. Through Bwlch-y-ddeufaen to Llan- 
fair-fechan, 8i, or Aber, 10. 

Uanrwst, 15. For Trefriw, 1, Trefriw Wells, 2J, Llyn Craf- 
nant, 3J, past Llyn Crafnant to Capel Curig, 7 (back by 
coach past Swallow Fall to Bettws-y-coed, or better take the 
reverse way). Gwydir Castle and Chapel, 1, from the chapel 
to Llanrhychwyn Church and Llyn Geirionydd, another 2J, 
back via Trefriw to station, 3. 

Bettws-y-coed, 19. For Swallow Fall, Z\, and Capel Curig, 
5J, for fine view of Snowdon. Fairy Glen, 1§, Conway Fall 
and Pandy Mill, about 3. [See Bettws excursions]. 

Pontypant, 23. For bridge. There is salmon fishing in 
the Lledr. 

Dolwyddelan, 25. For Castle ruins, Moel Slabod, and moun- 
tain walks to Pen-y-gwryd and Capel Curig. (See Dol- 
wyddelan excursions^. 



Attractions. LLANDUDNO. 203 

Festiniog, 34. For Cjnfael Falls; and Maentwog Road, 36, 
for Felenryd Falls, Maentwrog, Ac. [Bee Festiniog Rail- 
way section, Part I.]. 

Colwyn Bay, 8. For Llandrillo and Bryn Euryn, 2. Past 
Little Orme to Llandudno, 5$. Llysfaen Telegraph and 
down to Llandulas station, about 4|. [See Colwyn Bay ex- 
cursions]. 
Abergele and Pen-tarn, 14. 

Rhyl, 18, change to Vale of Clwyd line, for Rhuddlan 
Castle (22 m. from Llandudno), St. Asaph Cathedral (24), 
Denbigh Castle (30), Ruthin (36), for Moel Fammau. 
HolyweU, 32. For St. Winefrlde's Well, 1*. 
Sandy croft, 43, for Hawarden Castle, lj. 
Chester, 48, Manchester, 85, Birmingham, 121, London, 227. 
During the season the railway company puts on a very 
convenient train every morning, which runs from Llandud- 
no to Llanberis, and also to Snowdon station (Rhyd-ddu). 
By me an 8 of this such as wish to ascend Snowdon have 
ample time allowed for the purpose, and get back to Llan- 
dudno, Penmaen-mawr, and other places in time for late 
dinner. 

LLANDUDNO stands between the two Orme's Heads, on 
a bay which is two miles. along its curving shore, and 
it has the advantage of two shores, one in the bay, which 
we have mentioned, facing the east, the other, in the estuary 
of the Conway, on the west, where a number of houses have 
been built, and there is a pier from which a little steam 
boat (perhaps) starts for Trefriw. Here also is a minia- 
ture lake on the shore. The town is close to the Great 
Orme's Head, which rises to a height of 679 feet, and is the 
chief attraction of this modern watering-place, which a few 
years ago was a small village, but at the last census had 9,307 
inhabitants, rising in the season to something like two or 
three times that number. The views of sea and mountain, 
for some of the greatest heights of Snowdonia, though not 
Snowdon itself, are included in the prospect, and the de- 
light of wandering on the Great Orme, have helped to make 
the reputation of Llandudno ; but it owes a great deal also 
to the salubrity of its climate. It is claimed for Llan- 
dudno that the air is singularly dry, and excels in that re- 
spect the watering-places of the south, while the mildness 
of the climate is shown by the variety of delicate plants 
which grow in the open air in the winter. The meteoro- 
logical records of a quarter of a century, kept by Dr. Nicol, 
are put in evidence to prove the merits of Llandudno as a 
health-resort ; and to this may be added the fact that it has 
enjoyed a singular exemption from zymotic diseases. The 
local authorities have spared no pains or expense to perfect 
the sanitary arrangements of the town and make it attrac- 
tive to visitors. The water is brought from Dulyn and 
Melynllyn Lakes, not very far from the summit of Carnedd 



204 LLANDUDNO. The Pier. 

Llewelyn, and some dozen miles from Llandudno, and is 
declared to be of the purest quality (see p. 216). The post 
office is at the upper end of the town in Gloddaeth Street, 
and there is also a sub-office at the bottom of Mostyn Street. 
The Promenade, which is asphalted, the pier, and the 
streets are illuminated with the electric light; and in 1893 
a new hall, with accommodation for 2,000 people, was erec- 
ted at the east end of the Parade. 

Modest lodgings, consisting of a sitting-room and bed- 
room, can be found a little way from the shore, for thirty 
shillings or two pounds a week ; and the terms go up to 
eight or ten guineas for a suite of three or four rooms on 
the Parade, visitors who want to ride will find plenty of 
horses, and for both horses and carriages there is a fixed 
tariff. Boating, also, is one of the pleasures of Llandudno, 
and there is fishing in the sea for those who enjoy it ; and, 
talking of boating, if you want to take the town in at a 
glance, and the bold promontories that mount guard at 
each end of it, the sea is the only place where you can do 
so to perfection, and voyagers by the steamers from Liver- 
pool are charmed by the scene which greets them. The 
North Wales Golf Links, of 18 holes, on Conway Bay, are 
said to be the finest in Wales : the Club House is near the 
top of Gloddaeth Street. An excellent cricket and tennis 
ground, off the same street, is open to visitors by the week 
or the month. Visitors are admitted to the Llandudno 
Club, in St. George's Crescent, on the introduction of mem- 
bers. 

The Pier proper (toll 2d.) is 1,200 feet long, but the new 
approach adds 1,080 feet. Near the entrance stands a 
pavilion, with accommodation for 3,000 people. Here there 
are evening concerts during the season ; and music is per- 
formed at the end of the Pier in the morning, except in bad 
weather, when it is in the pavilion. But, with no other 
music save the lapping of the waves, what can be more rest- 
ful than on summer days to sit at the end of the Pier, facing 
the town, with the sea about you, and the great mountains 
rising in the distance? The most prominent summit is Foel 
Fras, and more to the left, looking just beyond the tower of 
one of the hotels, is Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, a mountain near 
Capel Curig which is often' mistaken by strangers for Moel 
Siabod. Pen-llithrig, with its abrupt eastern shoulder, is 
a prominent landmark in this district. 

Another attraction is the " Happy Valley," on the side of 
the Great Orme's Head, a little way beyond the Pier. On 
summer evenings, when the sun's rays are subdued, the 
scene here \s indeed a merry one, and it h*8 b**n *pty de* 



Sound the Orme. LLANDUDNO. 205 

scribed as a "Vanity Fair.'* Lord Mostyn presented the 
Happy Valley to the town as a Jubilee gift in 1887, and the 
Urban Council at once decided to improve it by planting 
trees and in other ways. The Council nave also been plant, 
ing in other places, to remove the old drawback of Llan- 
dudno, the want of shade. 

We have spoken of Llandudno as a modern town, but a dis- 
covery made a few years ago on the face of the Orme's Head, above 
Church Walks, shows that it is a very ancient dwelling place. In 
a cave which was there opened were found embedded a great 
quantity of bones and teeth. Amongst the former Professors Boyd 
Dawkins and McKenny Hughes discovered the remains of four 
human beings of short stature, with long skulls, believed to be of 
the same race that once dwelt in southern Europe in the neolithic 
epoch. A human jaw revealed several molars In splendid condi- 
tion; and amongst the other objects found were a necklace of 
teeth of various animals, several canine, with the holes drilled at 
the ends of the fangs, evidently by chipped flint; and two strange- 
looking teeth, about three inches long, of the great extinct cave- 
bear, thought to have been ear-pendants. Associated with these 
were the remains of several domestic animals, as dogs, horses, Ac, 
and there was also a badger's skull in a very perfect condition. 
We quote this account from the Arehaeologia Cambrenti* for October 
1881. 

Round the Great Orme's Head. 

The Marine Drive round the Orme's Head was completed 
in 1879 from plans by Mr. A. Foulkes, and now belongs to 
the Urban Council. The length from toll-gate to toll-gate is 
4 m. 130 yards, the distance all round the Orme is under 5£ 
miles ; the toll is Id. for pedestrians, 2d. for cyclists, 2d. 
for a bath chair, 3d. for horse or ass, and 6d. for carriages ; 
and brakes, in which the fare is a shilling, often make the 
round. Starting by the Baths, the gates are passed beyond 
the Happy Valley. We look over the sea to the long line 
of the coast, to Rhyl and beyond, a varied and picturesque 
scene. Presently St. Tudno's Church is seen on the Head, 
high above us, and after a while a path runs up to the church 
(where a board directs you to the Old Rectory). Here and 
there are gates in the wall by which the rocky barriers of 
the sea can be approached. At the extreme point of the 
Orme's Head we see the Telegraph Station and Lighthouse 
(which is open to visitors on week days with permits ob- 
tained from the Secretary of the Dock Board at Liverpool) ; 
and soon after this there is a charming view of the estuary 
of the Conway and the mountains beyond, ending in Pen- 
maen-mawr. The coast of Anglesey stretches away before 
us, with Puffin Island between, and we look up the Menai 
Straits to Beaumaris and the Bridges. Up the estuary we 
see Conway Castle; and the insignificant ruins of Gogarth 
Abbey are presently passed on the right in the grounds of a 



206 LLANDUDNO. Over the Ormu 

large new house. Gogarth is said to have been either a 

palace of the Bishop of Bangor or a cell of the Abbey of 

Conway. In another mile or so the gates are reached. If 

it is a very clear day the panorama seen from the carriage 

on this drive includes the Isle of Man and the hills of the 

English Lake District, but they are rarely visible, and are 

not required to make the excursion a delightful one, with 

views of sea, and cliff, and hills, such as invalids can enjoy 

in few other places. 

In making the new Marine Drive a happy couple who lived in 
a cave had to be ejected. To look at the habitation one would 
think that, with a family, the cave-wife mast have been pat to in- 
conveniences as great as those which befel the old lady who lived 
In a shoe, and yet we were told by the woman of the cave that she 
had given birth to and reared thirteen children in it, and was far 
happier there than In her more civilized habitation. The site of 
the cave is passed on the new road as we descend towards Conway 
Bay, near the ruins of Gogarth. 

Over the Great Orme's Head. 

Those who seek a freer and wilder walk, over the Great 
Orme's Head, can strike up Ty-gwyn Road, near the top of 
Mostyn Street, or the Old Road, which is reached by turn- 
ing to the left along Church Walks from Mostyn-street. On 
the table-land, keep along the carriage way, which passes to 
the right of the old copper works (avoiding the track to the 
Telegraph Inn on the left), until a high modern wall is near 
— an ugly encroachment on the " rights " of visitors. St 
Tudno's Church, beautifully situated, is below on the right, 
and in a short time the rude remains of a circle of stones 
on rising ground to the right will be seen (by those who look 
for them) ; and' near them are the remains of a peculiar col- 
lection of stones on the sward, forming something like the 
letter L, one part of it running down towards the sea. From 
this point you can make for the Old Tdegraph Station, which 
you will see above you, or go down to St. Tudno's Church. 

There is a small Cromlech near the road up the Orme. To reach 
it, turn to the left, by a wall, when the steep road from the town 
Is all but surmounted, and keep straight on to a gate, and make 
for a small mound in a field, near a chapel. If you cannot enter 
the field, the cromlech can be seen by going down a road to the 
right of the chapel, and looking over a fence. As to this cromlech 
and the other interesting antiquities we have mentioned, we will 
make use of Mr. Halllwell's description. The cromlech consists 
of four upright blocks of stone, 4§ feet in height, supporting a 
large fiat stone on the top. As in many other cromlechs, the four 
supporting stones are close together, leaving a wide open space 
for the reception of the sepulchral remains. The Welsh name of 
this cromlech is Lletty-y-flliast [rather Hetty 'r Ftiiatt ; such names 
are common for cromlechs all over Wales] — the Kennel of the 
Greyhound Bitch. The circular spot surrounded by a double 
narrow circle of sunken stones (mentioned above) is one of the 



Antiquities. LLANDUDNO. 207 

curious antiquities usually called the remains of British circular 
houses. Of the neighbouring remnants of two singular avenues 
of upright stones, forming a walk in the shape of the letter L, 
many of the upright stones have been unfortunately removed 
of late years, but a sufficient number of the smaller ones remain 
to enable the directions of the avenues to be traced. The Welsh 
call them Hwylfa *r Ceirw, the Lane of the Deer, the tradi- 
tion being that these stones formed a path by which those ani- 
mals, formerly numerous in this county, descended to a meadow 
below. Near these are the remains of several rude dry stone 
walls, bearing the appearance of having belonged to the ground- 
floor of a large, square stone building. This place (of doubtful 
antiquity) is called Lletty Fadog, or the House of Madoc. 

Continuing along the road from which you have diverged 
to see these antiquities, you will before long come to a small 
cairn, from which, some people will tell you, the summit of 
Snowdon can be seen ; but do not believe it. The summit 
mistaken for Snowdon, we have little doubt, is that of Elidyr 
Fawr, to the north-east of Llanberis. But, if you miss 
Snowdon, the prospect cannot fail to delight you. To the 
right of Penmaen-mawr, looking over Aber, the Rivals are 
visible, and the highest of the mountains to the left is Car- 
nedd Llewelyn. The highest summit of the Orme, close by 
the Old Telegraph Station (which we have already men- 
tioned), of course commands a very extensive view of coast 
and mountains ; and, in short, from almost all parts of the 
Orme you can see in clear weather a vast panorama, bound- 
ed seawards by the Isle of Man and the mountains of the 
English Lake district. Another distant feature of the view 
is the tower at New Brighton. 

On the Orme, overlooking the town, there is the reputed 
site of an ancient dinas or stronghold, Pen-y-ddinas ; and 
there may be found what was once a perfect " Rocking 
Stone," Maen Sigl, called also Cryd Tudno, Tudno's 
Cradle. To reach Pen-y-ddinas, turn up the road in the 
Happy Valley, pass the quarries, and then ascend to the 
left. The Maen Sigl is at the corner nearest Conway Bay. 
From here the view includes a large number of mountain 
summits, with Carnedd Llewelyn, the loftiest of them. 

The old name of the Orme's Head peninsula was Cyngreawdr, a 
name as hard for a mere Saxon to pronounce as for a full red- 
blooded Welshman— learned or otherwise— to explain. The twelfth- 
century poem called " Gwalchmai's Delight" speaks of "the white 
billows of Cyngreawdr Mountain." 

St. Tudno's Church. 

By following the road running up from Church Walks, 
St. Tudno's Church (about 1 m.) can easily be found, 
as we have already shown. Another and more circuitous 
way is to walk for five and twenty minutes or so along the 
Marine Drive from the Happy valley, and having passed 



208 LLANDUDNO. Cam. 

one path up the hill, turn up by another, where a board 
directs you to the Old Rectory, a white house, at which 
the key is kept (but the churchyard is sometimes open, by 
the gate nearest the house). It is an interesting little 
church, and many visitors will be attracted to the burying 
ground to see the grave of Leonard Bright, the son of John 
Bright, who came year by year to visit it. The grave is 
between the porch and the wall, in the direction of the Old 
Rectory, ana is marked by a simple head-stone, with the 
inscription, " In loving remembrance of Leonard Bright, son 
of John Bright, M.P., and Margaret Elizabeth, his wife, 
who died at Llandudno, November 8th, 1864, aged nearly 
six years. There shall be one fold and one shepherd." 
Service is held at this little church in the summer time— 
sometimes, when the weather is fine, in the open air. 

The late Mr. Longuevllle Jones, Judging from the masonry, con- 
sidered that part of St. Tudno's Church belonged to the eleventh 
or twelfth century, and part, including all the architectural fea- 
tures of the edifice, to the fifteenth ; but the building was " res- 
tored " in 1855 by Mr. William Henry Reece, in gratitude for the 
recovery of his only daughter at Llandudno, as Is recorded in an 
inscription in English, Latin, and Welsh. There is a small circu- 
lar font in the church of great antiquity ; and two incised slabs or 
coffin-lids of the thirteenth century, elaborately floriated, are let 
into the wall on each side of the altar. An open oak screen divides 
the chancel from the rest of the church. 

The Caves of the Great Or me. 

There are several caves in the cliffs next the sea, and they 
are reached by boats, a delightful excursion on a fine day. 
One of them (Ogo' Colomenod, or the Pigeons' Cave) is ac- 
cessible at low water, and may be approached from the 
Marine Drive, less than a mile from the town and about a 
hundred yards past the north-east point (Pen Trwyn), by 
passing through a gate opposite a huge mass of rock that 
partly overhangs the road. 

"The most curious of the caves is that called Llech (a word 
meaning a stone, especially a flat stone or slab), a square room 
about six feet and a half In extent, and ten feet in height. The 
shape of this cavern, to use the words of Dr. Ingleby, ' is semi- 
octagonal, terminated in front by two square columns of free- 
stone. A font and seats are in perfect preservation; but of the 
stone table, which many years ago occupied the centre, the pedes- 
tal only remains. The font, or rather stone basin, is supplied by 
a spring of most delicious water, which, at certain seasons, flows 
in copious quantities into an artificial bath excavated in the rock 
below. It is said the cave was fitted up as a grotto, or pleasure 
house, by some ancestors of the Mostyn family.' ** Near this is 
Ogo* Hornby, or Hornby's Cave, so called from the fact that a 
vessel of the name was dashed on the shore at this place on the 
night of New Year's Day, 1824, when only one person was saved. A 

?:ood way further on, towards the east, under the Pen Trwyn rocks, 
s Ogo Colomenod, or the Pigeons' Cave, which is accessible at 



Little Orme. LLANDUDNO. 209 

low water. Between the last-named and St. Tudno's Church is a flat 
stony ledge, which is covered about two feet in depth at high 
water, called Mainc-y-stiwardlald, or the Stewards' Bench, where, 
according to tradition, the steward of the Mostyn family, if con- 
victed of wronging any of the tenants, was compelled to sit naked 
during the washing of two tides. (This may be compared with the 
story of Ysgolan, preserved in a twelfth century Welsh MS., and 
in a divergent form also in Brittany. He had " burnt a church, 
slain the cow of a school, and put a book to drown," and to do 
penance for this, " was placed a full year at Bangor, on the pole 
of a weir; dire were his sufferings from the sea-worms! "). Be- 
sides the caves we have mentioned there are Ogo' Dutchman, a 
little to the east of Ogo' Colomenod, and Ogo' Hyfnant, between 
Ogo' Hornby and the Stewards' Bench. 

To the Little Orme's Head, Llandrlllo, 

and Colwyn Bay. 

The Little Orme'8 Head can be reached by omni- 
bus. Two miles along the bay, by the road which runs 
between the Little Orme and Mynydd Pentre, there is a 
path leading on to the headland, and it is a pleasant walk 
all round. Rhyl and the hills above the Vale of Clwyd 
come into view ; there are impressive cliffs on the Little 
Orme itself (where it is well to walk warily) as we proceed, 
and presently face the town of Llandudno, and then the Car- 
narvonshire mountains. The summit can easily be climbed, 
and some hours might be passed, often in delightful seclu- 
sion, on the Little Orme. At its base are two caverns, 
which can only be reached in boats, and which emphatically 
realize the old adage " The nearer the Church the further 
from God " ; for one is known as Egiwys Wen (the White 
Church), the other as Ogo* Cythreuliaid (the Cave of De- 
mons). From the base of the Little Orme a path leads along 
the earth " cliffs," and then through the fields to Rhos Trillo 
and Colwyn Bay, as already described (pp. 199, 200). 

The old farm house of Penrhyn (to the left of the road 
which runs past the Little Orme to Llandrillo) has been 
the scene of exciting events. The late Canon Williams, in 
his interesting book about Conway, narrates sundry tradi- 
tions concerning this house, which, in 1561, was the pro- 
perty of Robert Pugh, the Sheriff of Carnarvonshire. 

At one time there was a chapel attached to the house— It was 
afterwards turned Into a stable— where, after the Reformation, the 
family and their priest still worshiped. A plot, it is said, was 
hatched by them and a few sympathising neighbours to extermin- 
ate the Protestants in Creuddyn (the name of the peninsula), but 
it was discovered in time, just as plots are discovered — by one of 
the conspirators revealing ft In confidence to his sweetheart ; and 
a troop of horse speedily invested Penrhyn. Some were captured, 
but the priest, supposed to be the Instigator of the plot, for a 
time escaped. It so happened, however, that one day a party out 
In a boat observed smoke Issuing out of the rock (Little Orme's 
Bead), and, their curiosity being excited, they explored, wfce* la 



210 LLANDUDNO. Eglwys EMs. 

a small cave called Ty-yn-y-graig, difficult of access, they found 
Sir William Guy, the priest in question, whom they speedily had 
drawn and quartered after the merciful manner of those times. 
But the most curious story about Penrhyn is one about a "Claim- 
ant " of two or three centuries ago. At that time the Penrhyn 
family consisted of a son and two daughters. The former, accord- 
ing to the practice of the age, went on hJ4 travels abroad; but, 
before he set out he took the precaution of putting a needle be- 
tween one of the joists and the ceiling in the little kitchen, and 
he also drove the tooth of a harrow into a pear tree in the orchard. 
After the lapse of many years, and all hopes of his return being 
given up, he arrived a beggar, and coming home he found his 
parents dead, and his sisters In possession of the property. He 
stated who he was, but was treated as an impostor. He showed 
the concealed needle, and he pointed out the harrow tooth (over 
which the bark had grown), but in vain; he waa bundled off the 
premises and flogged off the farm. The unfortunate man then 
sought refuge in a cottage where he was recognised; but, in- 
cautiously going out one day, be was never seen again. And now 
for the sequel. A hundred and fifty years later, and in the first 
half of the nineteenth century, the tenant of Penrhyn, in build- 
ing a limekiln, in a fissure of the rock immediately behind the 
house found a skeleton. 

Llandrillo-yn-Rhds Church is nearly four miles from Llan- 
dudno, and If mile from Colwyn Bay. Near it are the 
ruins of Ll$8 Euryn, and the hill Bryn Euryn, From the 
church a road leads to the little watering-place of Rhos Trillo 
(formerly called Rhos) on the shore, and there the pedes- 
trian can turn to the left for a short distance to see the 
ancient fishing-weir and St. Trillo's Well, for all of which 
see Colwyn Bay section (p. 200). From Rhos Trillo a field 
path near the sea leads to Colwyn Bay station. 

To Eglwys Rhos and Gloddaeth. 

The pleasantest walk in the immediate neighbourhood of 
Llandudno, where you can really enjoy refreshing shade, 
is in the woods at and near Gloddaeth, which can be reached 
by one of the public brakes. For Gloddaeth walk (1£ m.) 
along the Conway road to the little church of Llan Bhds, or 
Egflwys RhdS (the Church of or in Rhos). 

It is reputed to be very old, but, of course, it has been renovated, 
the roof and interior being modern work. The fragments of an 
ancient window are preserved, and below the window at the south 
is the burying-place of the Mostyn family. One of the monuments, 
of the date of 1827, tells how Frances Mostyn, spinster, of Bodys- 
gallen, " repaired this dear little Church, presented the painted 
window at the east end, and endowed the school." 

This church is notable in Welsh tradition as the place where 
Maelgwn Gwynedd, the greatest, and also the wickedest, of the 
live British princes rebuked by their contemporary, Glldas (the 
Jeremiah of nis age and race), fled, but fled in vain, to escape from 
the wrath to come. This took the concrete shape of a great pes- 
tilence, known in Welsh history as the Yellow Plague, which 
desolated Britain (and Europe too) in the middle of the sixth cen- 
tury. That he succumbed to that plague is an historical, fact, is- 



i 



GloddaHh. LLANDUDNO. 211 

corded tinder the year 547 by the oldest Annalot Cambria*, but the 
eldest tradition we have as to the locality of his death, preserved 
In a later edition of the same chronicle, is that he met his death, 
not in the eglwyi (church), but in the llf)» (palace or court) of Rhos. 
This was enshrined in a well-known Welsh metrical proverb, 

Suoted by the annalist as Sir htin Faelgvrn yn Uy$ RM$ t " The long 
eep of Maelgwn in the palace of Rhds." The later version of the 
proverb alters Uy» into eglwys, thus making him take refuge in the 
then " Church of Rhds " ; and it need hardly be said that his 
richly deserved end had been duly foretold by no less a person 
than Taliessln, who had prophesied that " a wondrous beast (pryf) 
shall come from Morfa Rhlanedd (the Queens' or Ladies' Sea- 
marsh) to avenge his iniquities on Maelgwn Owynedd. Its hair, 
Its teeth, and its eyes all yellow! 'Tis it that shall make an end 
of Maelgwn Owynedd." For the said " iniquities " (which are not 
mythical!) see Gildas's Bpistola; and as for the loathly hag, in 
whom blood would seem to have been replaced by bile, even the 
case-hardened Maelgwn, after looking at her (says the story) 
through the keyhole, expired forthwith! 

Ll£s Rhos is perhaps the same as Ll?s Euryn, and the " Rhos " 
which we have so often met with in place-names hereabouts is the 
old name of the whole country between the lower courses of the Con- 
way and the Clwyd, and gave Denbigh Castle its Welsh appella- 
tion of Castell Caiedfryn yn Rhos (the Castle of the Hard Hill in 
Rhds). Morfa Rhlanedd is also rich in other traditional lore, 
and is supposed to be so called from the great ladles there laid 
to rest, amongst them Sannan, wife of Maelgwn Gwynedd, and 
daughter of the royal race of Powys, and Garwen, one of the 
renowned Arthur's three favourite ladies, whose father, Hennin 
Henben, was buried at Dinorben, near St. Asaph. Maelgwn's 
son, Rhun (see page 215), also lay here with his mother. 
But the Morfa was not only the lair of yellow hags, and the burial 
place of queens and court beauties, but the racecourse of the 
Ancient British steeds which entered for the rude '* Derby's " of 1400 
years ago. How Elphin's one horse raced Maelgwn's twenty-four, 
how Elphin's won through Taliessin's magic arts (there was no 
Jockey Club to bring the Bard to book in those days!), and Elphin 
finally found a cauldron (pair) of gold in the Morfa. " at a place 
where stands a pool (pwll) of water to this day called PwU-bair 
(8ic) "—this and much more may be read at large in the Story of 
Taliessin, translated in the Mabinogion of Lady Charlotte Guest. 
Maelgwn. of course, was then living at Deganwy, and Taliessln 
was busily engaged in proving Elphin's wife to be, like Cesar's, 
above suspicion! 

Gloddaeth is reached in a mile by turning up a path 
to the left, just beyond and close to Eglwys Rh6s Church. 
The woods offer a grateful shade, and the house, which is in 
a beautiful situation, is a curiosity, being one of the old 
Mostyn residences, the present building, or rather portions 
of it, dating back nearly 300 years. 

My Grandmother* 8 Chair is a pleasant seat, formed of 
two immense stones, easily reached from Llandudno by 
walking towards the Little Orme's Head, and turning 
up Nant-y-gamar Road. The chair is situated on the 
side of the hill, almost facing the estuary of the Con- 
way, but overlooking both bays. A walk of between 
four and five miles will include Eglwys Bhte, Gloddaeth, 



212 LLANDUDNO. Deganwy. 

and My Grandmother's Chair. Take the Conway road 
(wjiich runs straight on from Lower Mostyn Street) to Eglwyt 
RhSs (1J m.). Immediately after passing the church a foot- 
path to the left leads over the fields and through the plea- 
sant woods of Bryn Maelgvm to Gloddaeth. A road runs at 
the back of it, through the woods, and when some buildings 
are passed a turn to the left leads up to an old mill now 
used as a cottage. Here you bear left, round the wood, 
until a farm house (Fferm) is seen on the road below, be- 
tween you and the Conway shore. Now walk to the right, 
on the slope of the hill, and you will find the stones which 
bear the name of My Grandmother's Chair ; and a very 
pleasant seat it is for those who delight in the beauties of 
mountain and sea. To return to Llandudno, keep to the 
right, descend near some disused limekilns, and walk down 
Nant-y-gamar Road to the shore. 

To Degranwy.— To Conway and Ponmaon- 

mawr by Ferry. 

Degranwy, once upon a time an important place in 
Welsh history, is now a little watering-place, and a port 
constructed by the London and North Western Railway 
Company for the slate traffic from Blaenau Festiniog. The 
site of the Castle may be seen above Deganwy station, as 
we pass along from the Junction to Llandudno. We may 
go to Deganwy by rail, or by a footpath which is approached 
by turning out of Mostyn-street along Trinity Square, cross- 
ing Augusta Street obliquely to the right, going down Albert 
Street, and crossing Caroline Street, near the Cottage Hos- 
pital ; or by road, the distance to the Castle ruins being 
two miles and a half. By road, Eglwys BhSs is passed, ana 
soon afterwards the Deganwy road turns to the right from 
the road to Llandudno Junction. A little further there is 
an approach to the hill called Bryniau, on which there is a 
curious round tower, a puzzle to antiquaries. 

If Deganwy is reached by train the road to the left should 
be taken after leaving the station, and almost immediately 
a path can be found to the summit of the hill, where very 
scanty remains of the Castle still exist. The view up the 
Vale of Conway is very beautiful. 

According to Welsh tradition, Deganwy was a favourite seat of 
Maelgwn Gwynedd. Its historical importance is shown by such 
feets as the title of "King of Deganwy," given to the medi»Yal 
princes of Gwynedd, or North Wales, and the double record In 
the oldest Annate* Cambriae, written, in 954, of the destruction 
of Deganwy Castle (Arx Theantorum) by lightning In 812, and 
*£ alD by the English in 822. The Castle is mentioned in the old 
life oi an Irish saint who settled in l&erci*. St. Modwenna* as tfce 



bodafon Mitl. LLANt)Ut>NO. 213 

place near which she, St. Bride (In Welsh called Sant Ffrald), and 
their companions, Luge and Athea, landed after their adven- 
turous voyage from Ireland on a piece of ground bodily detached 
from the Emerald Isle. This got immovably fixed to the since 
" predominant " Isle of Britain, " apud castrum Daoanno nomine, 
juxta littus lmmensi marls," viz., at Llan-sant-ffraid Glan Conwy, 
and remained there till it and St. Bride's old chapel thereon were 
washed away by the waves about 200 years ago. Here St. Bride 
and Luge were left by Modwenna, who, after building the chapel, 
moved on with Athea to Polesworth and the Forest of Arden. 
The Welsh tradition made St. Bride land in the estuary of the 
Dovey, perhaps at the place called Ynys-y-capel, near Tal-y-bont. 
The Norman Castle of Deganwy had the chequered history 
common to all such castles in Wales. Henry III. was 
once kept here with his garrison, and Powel, in his Historic 
of Cambria, quotes a letter, which says, " We faste for want 
of meate, for a halfpenie loaf is worth 3d.; we starve for colde, 
wanting our winter garments, having no more thanne a thin linen 
cloath betwixte us and the winde." The fortress was dismantled 
by Llewelyn ap Gruffydd in 1260. 

From Deganwy a ferry (2d.) can be taken across the mouth 
of the Conway, and then it is about a mile to Conway town, 
and about four miles to Penmaen-mawr, for which the pedes- 
trian crosses Conway Marsh (a favourite camping place for 
Volunteers), and finds a bridge over the railway to the road, 
which runs at the foot of Conway Mountain and Penmaen- 
bach. The Golf pavilion is close to the ferry, and the Con- 
way Golf Links, of 18 holes, are on Conway Marsh. 

To Bodafon Hill, Pabo Hill, and 

Deganwy. 

Another walk (about 6 miles) may be recommended. Starting 
along the shore towards the Little Orme's Head, turn up Nant-y- 
gamar Road to Bodafon Hill, which can be reached from 
near the old limekilns by turning to the left; and If, on arriv- 
ing at the wall which encloses the summit, there is any difficulty 
in reaching it, a wicket gate will be found by keeping round the 
hill to the right. This is the view, facing the Qreat Orme, and 
carrying the eye round to the left:— Puffin Island, Beaumaris, 
Menai Bridge village, with the Anglesey monument beyond it, 
Bangor, Penrhyn Castle, Penmaen-mawr, Foel Fras, Carnedd Llew- 
elyn, and the bold-looking Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, between which 
and the corner of Gloddaeth wood Moel Siabod is seen ; then, pass- 
ing Oloddaeth wood and the truncated windmill, the church of 
Llandrillo-yn-Rh6s is a prominent object, with the coast about 
Colwyn and Llandulas, and further away St. Asaph Cathedral, the 

fraceful spire of Bodelwyddan Church, Abergele, the black-look* 
ng towers of Rhuddlan Castle, and the town of Rhyl. From 
Bodafon make for a gate which admits to a road (a short distance 
to the left of the windmill) descending through the wood. Before 
long turn to the right, at the back of some buildings, and when 
Gloddaeth is passed: a footpath runs past the entrance gates, and, 
inclining to the left, presently reaches a road. Cross the road, 
soon take a path to the left, cross a couple of fields, and follow 
the left branch where it forks. Soon a path runs left to and up 
through a wood, passes a cottage, and reaches the open hill-side. 
Then cross the hill, bearing to the right, and when a road la 



214 LLANDUDNO. Bodysgallen. 

reached,, turn to the right, and soon, near a gate leading Into the 
Bodysgallen woods, yon turn to the left, and thus reach the 
summit of Pabo Hill (to your left), above a quarry, where, unfor- 
tunately, the hill Is being gradually blasted away. Here you look 
up the Valley of the Conway; and there are fine views of the 
mountains. Return through the gate already mentioned for a de- 
lightful walk In Bodysgallen woods. When another gate la reached, 
a path .to the left runs to Llandudno Junction In less than a mile, 
and the Interesting old mansion of Marl could be seen on the 
way ; but that Is not our proposed route now. Turning to the right 
from this gate, and soon passing behind the beautifully-situated 
mansion of Bodysgallen, the seat of the Hon. H. Lloyd Mostyn, keep 
along the road, and soon after coming out of the woods (here you 
are about two miles from Llandudno straight on) follow a path 
over the fields to the left Into the Conway road, turn left, and 
after a while another footpath to the right, with Deganwy hill on 
the right, leads to Deganwy station. By following the road past 
Deganwy station for half a mile or so a footpath is found on the 
left, which conducts you to Llandudno through Maes Du farm 
yard in about half an hour (sharp walking). 

Another pleasant walk may be taken over Pabo Hill to Deganwy 
or Llandudno Junction by travelling by train to Mochdre and 
Pabo station and starting from there. From the station a road 
runs up to another road ; there turn right and almost immediately 
left, by a lane which runs to the summit of the hill. Follow this 
track until at a point where It begins to run to the right along a 
hedge you keep straight on by a path, and soon by another path 
through the scrub to the next hill. Crossing the hill you come to 
a fence, walk down by the fence (left) to a road, turn to the right 
to another road, then left, and soon to the right again, and from 
the last road a footpath admits to Pabo Hill, from which you pro- 
ceed to Deganwy, as described in the last paragraph; or, return- 
ing to the footpath and turning to the right, it will lead into a 
lane by descending which, and keeping on along the road at the 
foot of the hill, Marl will be reached. Marl, which was long a 
mansion of some Importance, Is In part a picturesque Ivy-covered 
ruin, with large trees growing in the roofless rooms, in part a 
Convalescent Home for Birmingham women. From Marl a road 
opposite the entrance leads straight to Llandudno Junction (i m). 

To Porth-lwyd Fall and Llyn Duiyn. 

Visitors to Llandudno should refer to the sections headed 
" Vale of Conway," " Llanrwst and Trefriw," and " Bettws 
y-coed," for the many beautiful excursions in and about 
the Vale ; but there are two which are most conveniently 
described in connection with Llandudno, and with one of 
them the association is appropriate, since Llandudno draws 
its water supply from Llyn Dulyn. Dulyn is one of the 
most remarkable lakes in Wales, but the last four miles of 
the walk would be considered tiresome by many persons. 
Porth-lwyd Fall, one of the finest in the country, after 
rain, is nearer, and much better worth visiting. The fall 
is about four miles from Tal-y-cafn station. 

Tal-y-cafn, eight miles and a half from Llandudno by 
rail, is the station for both lake and fall, and the way is 
the same at first. Opposite Tal-y-cafn station is a green 
mound, believed to have been set up by the Romans to de- 



CaerMn. LLANDUDNO. 215 

fend or watch this important ferry, which was only super- 
seded by a bridge in 1897. Having crossed the bridge (foot- 
passengers Id., cyclists, 2d.), take the road to the left, and 
the first lane to the left (in about two minutes), and keep on, 
near the river, to a farm. Go to the right of the farm, 
then bend to the left, and at the end of the buildings pass 
through a gate, and follow first a .field-road and then a path 
which runs by a hedge, through a wood, and straight on to 
the low, white church we see in front (twenty or twenty- 
five minutes' walk from the railway station). CsterhQn 
Church} which is near the river-side, occupies the site 
of the ancient Conovium, or Canovium, of the Romans, 
and the passing tourist can see that the ground is entrenched 
in front of the building. The name Conovium survives in 
that of the river Conwy or Conway '. Caerh&n ought to be 
written Caer RhUn, and is so called from Rhun, the son and 
successor of Maelgwn Gwynedd. Keep on past the church 
to the end of the wall ; then a footpath runs to the right by a 
fence, a stile is crossed, and soon a gate admits to a lane which 
leads to the Conway and Trefriw road. [For travellers in the 
opposite direction let us say that the gate through which we 
turn for Caerhun is almost at right angles with another, and 
opposite a rude stone stile, about 4$ miles from Conway]. 
In the Trefriw road turn to the left, and in about five 
minutes the point is reached where the shortest route for 
the lake diverges ; but we will keep along the road for the 
fall. Soon we pass through the hamlet of Tal-y-bont, fre- 
quented by artists, who have a Club House here, and in an- 
other mile reach a bridge over the Porth-lwyd River. Here, 
not crossing the bridge, we take a lane, which leads up to 
the fall is twenty minutes. Several cottages are passed, and 
then we arrive at a little plateau, with an extensive view of 
the Vale of Conway. Here we turn to the left, through a 
gate, and reach the rocks, where the fall is seen. The 
stream comes down in three falls — one over the face of the 
rock, the others in channels on each side, and, united, they 
make another leap down the rocks. Above, the water 
tumbles through great boulders, and, below, it rushes down 
its steep and rocky bed towards the Conway. It is a most 
beautiful combination of rocks and trees and water. 
Rfoaiadr Mawr (the Great Waterfall) it is called, but there 
are several of that name in Wales, and Porth-lwyd 
FslII is a more distinctive name. [From here a way may be 
found past Llyn Eigiau to Carnedd Llewelyn (about 8 miles) ; 
it is described in our Mountain Ascents]. 

And now for the longer tramp to Llyn Dulyn. Five minutes to 
tlie left from the point at which we entered the Trefriw road 



216 LLANDUDNO. Llyn Dulyn, 

from Caerhun a lane (nearly opposite another lane) runs up to a 
farm, where we turn left through the farm buildings, and, Imme- 
diately, to the right by a path through a wood, then left again, 
and keep straight on to Llanbedr, where, passing by the church, 
we turn to the right. The lane runs up hill, and in less than a 
mile we turn to the left towards Pen-y-gaer (or Pen Caer Llin; 

groundlessly called by Pennant, and by the modern writers who 
lindly follow him, Pen Caer Helen), the hill which has been oa 
our left since we started up the lane at Llanbedr. The open 
hill-side reached, a path runs up It, bearing to the right. [The 
hill could easily be scaled. Upon it, in old days, was a post 
of great strength, and the entrenchments are still plain. So are 
the small stones stuck upright in great numbers on a little slope 
near the summit, a form of defence (to stop a rush), said to 
be found nowhere else in Wales, which is an especial feature in 
the great prehistoric forts of the Aran Isles off the West of Ire- 
land. There is a lovely view of the Vale of the Conway and 
the mountains.]. The path runs on from the hill south-west to- 
wards a farm. We pass above the farm, through a gate, and bend 
to the right; and here, looking right, see two farms In the dis- 
tance between which our way lies. The line of buried pipes (con- 
veying water for Llandudno) is now our guide, but in places it 
is Indistinct. After a while we pass between the farms which we 
have mentioned, and if we fail for a time to see the line, the way 
lies straight on up the valley, and before Ion? we are not far from 
the stream which flows from Llyn Dulyn. It is rather an unin- 
teresting walk, and has not much to recommend it, and some will 
prefer to climb the slopes of Carnedd Llewelyn, and return to 
Aber or Llanfair-fechan, or Bethesda. [See Mountain Ascents!. 
Llyn Dulyn is remarkable for having no beach except a little on 
the side where the stream flows out. Hound most of it the rocks, 
in places rising 500 or 600 feet, run right down into the water 
Dulyn is at the base of Foel Fras, and the way to the summit of 
Carnedd Llewelyn can easily be found between Dulyn and Melyn- 
llyn. You bear left as you climb from Llyn Dulyn, and presently 
Melynllyn will be seen to the left below you. Still bear rather 
left, until you reach the cairn. 

The line of pipes from Llyn Dulyn is carried for four miles to 
Llwyn-y-gwaew reservoir, half a mile above Llanbedr, and then 
to the north of that village, and crosses the river at Caerhun, and 
also over the bridge at Tal-y-cafn ; and the total length is 16 miles. 
The works were carried out by Mr Marks, C.E. (assisted by Mr. 
Cousins of Swansea), at a cost of about £40,000. The water is pro- 
nounced equal to that of Loch Katrine, and as the gathering 
ground, which contains no human habitation, belongs to the 
Llandudno Urban Council, it is secured against contamination. 
The volume of water available on the Dulyn watershed amounts to 
1,134,350.000 gallons per annum, and on the Melynllyn watershed 
to 567,175,000 gallons. 

Ubc Waller of tbe Conway 

BY EIVEE. 

IN starting up the Valley of the Conway from Llandudno 
we will first make for Trefriw. We may do it by rail, 
but it is pleasanter on a fine day by steam boat from Degan- 
wy, and possibly from the West Pier at Llandudno. 

The Conway, on which we are embarking, has been famous for 
Its pearls. The late Canon Robert Williams, in his History of 
Aberconwy, published in 1835, says: —"There are two kinds of 



By River. CONWAY VALLEY. $17 

mussels found In the Conwy, from which pearls are obtained : Unic 
margaritifeTUS, cragm y drdiw, and the Mytilus edulis, cragen l&*. 
Those of the former species are procured iiigh up the river, above 
Trefriw, and pearis scarcely Inferior to the oriental ones are occa- 
sionally found in them." [These pearl mussels have been found 
in the Llugwy, too, and other mountain streams in Wales, Scot- 
land, Ireland and the Isle of Man]. Sir Richard Wynn of Gwydir, 
chamberlain to Catherine of Braganza, queen of Charles II., pre- 
sented Her Majesty with one which is supposed still to adorn the 
royal crown; and Conway pearls are mentioned by Spenser in 
the ** Faerie Queene "■— 

Conway, which out of his streame doth send 
Plenty of pearles to decxe his dames with all. 

And now we will step into our cockleshell of a steamer, 
and we have one great advantage in taking the trip to Tref- 
riw by water instead of by rail, in the fact that the boat 
only makes the passage when the tide is up, and then the 
Conway " aber " is at its best. At first, after passing Con- 
way, we seem to be steaming through a beautiful lake. As 
we proceed the mountain near to us on the right is Tal-y-f an, 
Carnedd Llewelyn and other lofty summits, which we shall 
mention more particularly in onr railway ride, reveal them- 
selves on the same side, and lesser " moels " of all shapes 
and sizes abound. We soon get into the river proper, 
and presently pass Tal-y-cafn bridge, and, a little further, 
Caerhun Church, on the site of the ancient Conovium, near 
the river-side, on our right ; and on the same side, in the 
coarse of the next three miles, we have a couple of water- 
falls — Porth-lwyd and Dolgarrog — and then Trefriw Wells. 
To our right, down the bare side of the hill, what looks like 
a streak of yellow ochre descends, until it is lost behind a 
stone building on the road-side. The yellow bed conveys 
the healing stream of Trefriw to the house below. Shortly 
after passing this place we come to the end of our steamer 
journey. [See page 224]. 

By Rail to Bettws and Fostlnlogr. 

By rail the visitor at Llandudno is brought within easy 
reach of some of the most beautiful spots in Wales. The 
Vale of Conway ends a little beyond Bettws, but it will be 
convenient to complete the railway journey to Festiniog. 

Soon after we leave Llandudno Junction the round-shaped 
Moel Eilio comes in sight up the vale ; then Pen-llithrig- 
y-wraeh, as curious in shape as in name, reveals itself ; next 
we see Carnedd Llewelyn, Foel Fras, and Tal-y-f an, the 
mountain nearest to us across the river. The first station. 
Glan Conway (Llan-sant-ffraid Glan Conwy: for its legend 
see p. 213), is only a mile and a half from the Junction ; the 
second is Tal-y-cafn (5& m.) the starting place for several 
excursions. Bodnant Hall, the beautiful grounds of which 



218 CONWAY VALLEY. SKenkin's Cant. 

are open from 10 to 6 on Tuesday and Saturday, is one mile 
and a quarter distant. Coaches run to it in summer from 
Llandudno and Colwyn Bay. 

We have given two of the excursions, to Porth-lwyd Fall and 
Llyn Dulyn, under Llandudno. For Bwlch-y-ddeufaen Pass, and 
Aber or Llanfair-fechan, follow the road which runs inland from 
the river, crosses the Conway road, and goes straight on to Y Bo 
(or Ro-wen, " the White Shingle-bank," often barbarously spelt 
Roewen). At the end of the village the (right hand) road ascends 
steeply, and about three miles further reaches the large stone at 
the head of the pass. There a path to the right runs down to 
Llanfair-fechan. We may keep to the road for about three miles 
more, until we turn to the right near the stream from Llyn-an- 
afon, and follow it to Aber. 

Between Tal-y-cafn and Llanrwst (11 m.) we shall see in 
succession on the right, Caerhun Church across the Conway, 
Pen Caer Llin, the prominent hill nearest the river, Porth- 
lwyd and Dolgarrog Falls, Trefriw Wells and Trefriw Vil- 
lage. Leaving Llanrwst and Trefriw station [page 221], we 
pass through a tunnel, and then for the next three miles 
we have the magnificent Carreg-y-gwalch (The Bock of the 
Falcon) — its head crowned by and its feet swathed in the 
luxuriant woods — towering above the road leading from 
Llanrwst to Bettws. 

In this rock was once the cave of the outlaw, David ap Jenkin, 
temp. Edward IV. The local story goes that he was a great archer 
—quite a William Tell, in fact!— and that one day he spied a 
party of reapers sitting round a pudding on the flat just the other 
side of the Conway, and despatched an arrow bang into the midst 
of the pudding without hurting one of the diners! The entrance 
to the cave is locally said to have been stopped up or lost not so 
long ago; but a friend of the writer has seen a cave in the cliff, 
only to be reached by being let down by a rope from above. Ogo' 
Shenkin has a famous legend attached to it. It is said that dur- 
ing the reign of the Seventh Henry one, Jordan, who cut wood and 
tended goats in the neighbourhood, was queer in person as in 
behaviour, having a blue nose and a squinting eye, and being 
grasping in all his dealings by day and violent over his cups by 
night. No great distance from the base of Carreg-y-gwalch, Pont- 
y-pair spans the Lluswy at Bettws, and here Jordan was often 
seen to meditate, ana at times to rave, according to his mood, 
and always sure of a wide berth, for everybody shunned him. In 
those early days there were no friendly newspapers to communi- 
cate to men that if they would apply at certain places they 
"would hear of something to their advantage," and the devil gener« 
ally took the place of the publisher. So it was with Jordan; it 
was whispered to him on the bridge that in the cave of Shenkin 
there was something worth seeking for. A heavy fog hung over 
the hill as Jordan in the early morning mounted the rock, but a 
light, the colour of his nose, issued from the cave, and so directed 
him in his course. Alarmed at the sight, he kept his courage np 
with a potent bottle he carried with him; indeed, he kept it up 
too much, for when he entered the cave he fell headlong. Terror 
soon somewhat sobering him, he heard a long-drawn ba — a— a — a, 
and saw two globes of light, all of which proceeded from a huge 
goat, the occupant of the cave. The goat, which had one of its 
hoots on a mighty chest, bound with iron clasps, was in deep study, 



To Fjstiniog. CONWAY VALLEY. 219 

Its eyes being fixed on a clasped book. At length It spoke, and 
told Jordan that there was treasure in store for him— on condi- 
tions. Other goats were summoned, and certain incantations were 
gone through ; a heap of gold was thrown into a crucible, and the 
chief goat said to Jordan, " I will make thee a man of gold ; drink 
and be wealthy." Our readers remember, perhaps, the " Man 
made of Money," by Douglas Jerrold. In his case the money took 
the form of bank notes, which the possessor peeled off as he 
wanted them, the supply only ceasing when sufficient had not 
been left to cover the vital parts: but to be asked to swallow a 
panful of red-hot gold was enough to take any man's breath away ; 
so we cannot wonder that Jordan hesitated. Avarice, however, 
triumphed, and the bowl was quaffed. In an instant the goat 
told him to fly for his life, and on Jordan's turning his back on 
the goat to obey, he received so prompt and hearty an enforce- 
ment of the order from the head of the animal that he at once 
found himself in the valley at the door of his own cottage. The 
rest of the storv is soon told. Unlike the man of notes, Jordan's 
capital was not available to himself, and for the remainder of his 
life all his care was that nobody stole him! At last his end drew 
near, and, with the prevailing passion strong in death, he bar- 
gained with the priest that his oodv was to be decently buried, 
the Church to be content with one finger for expenses. 

And now, having a passing glance at Moel Siabod up the 
Vale of the Llugwy as we enter the village, we reach Bettws- 
y-coed (15 m. from Llandudno Junction), which is certainly 
one of the loveliest places in Wales ; and here probably 
most of the travellers will leave the train, to visit the 
Swallow Fall, the Fairy Glen, and other famous spots. 

Our train passes from Bettws at the back of the Waterloo 
Hotel, and soon leaves the valley of the Conway for that 
of the Lledr. For the first two or three miles we have the 
dashing little river to our left, and this is the best side to 
sit in order to enjoy the view, until a viaduct is crossed, 
and then the reaches of the river, seen on the other side, 
make exquisite little pictures. Pont-y-pant (19£ m.) is the 
next station, but it does not command a view of the well- 
known bridge ; indeed the bridge is not seen from the line. 
All along the valley, if the day is fine, Moel Siabod is visible 
above us, and we have peeps at Snowdon, over the village, 
as we run to Dolwydddan (20f m. : all distances are from 
Llandudno Junction). 

Beyond Dolwyddelan station we soon pass the ruins of Dol- 
wyddelan Castle on our right, and in less than two miles 
reach Roman Bridge station. The railway authorities, at 
a loss for a name in a locality where the habitations of men 
were few and far between, having a dim suspicion of a 
Roman road in the district, jumped to the conclusion that 
the stream near by was crossed by a Roman Bridge ; so by 
this name is the station called. If we may believe the 
people of the district, in this we have the discovery of 
Scott's "Antiquary" repeated, for recently there were men 



220 CONWAY VALLEY. By Road. 

living who could say, like Edie Ochiltree, "T mind the big 
ging o't." It is now " restored " out of all likeness to a 
Roman or any ancient structure. 

The mountain views are fine, and we catch glimpses of 
Snowdon over the nearer hills, but soon we plunge into a 
tunnel, and in something over two miles emerge at the Rhiw 
end of Blaenau Festiniog (27£ m.), the region of slate quarries. 
The tunnel begins at, Cwm-y-nhadog, runs through the 
Gerddinen Mountain, and comes out at Pant-yr-afon, and 
the length is 3,872 yards. What to see in the attractive 
district here entered may be found in our chapter on " The 
Festiniog Railway," in Part I. The London and North 
Western station is close to the Blaenau Festiniog Junction 
station of the narrow-gauge railway to Portmadoc, but is 
five or six minutes' walk from the Great Western station, 
for which turn to the left, and then, after passing the London 
and North Western Hotel, to the right; and when the 
Queen's Hotel is reached the Great Western station is be- 
hind it. From here it is about three miles to Festiniog, near 
which are a number of Waterfalls. [See pages 115 — 119]. 

We add here a brief note of the way to the falls of the Cynfael. 
From the station turn to the left and proceed on a path which runs 
at first near the railway, and soon down to the right, joining the 
path from the village. Turn to the left, and, after passing through 
a gate, the path leads to a bridge, for the first fall. Proceeding 
(on the same side at first and presently crossing the stream), you 
see the other falls. Return by the path to the village, and there 
enter a field by a gate on the left of the churchyard for a de- 
lightful view, immediately beyond the church n turn to the left 
leads to the beautiful Dwyryd Valley. 

BY BOAD. 

For the benefit of pedestrians who may travel to Trefriw 
by river or rail, or to Bettws by rail, and return by road, 
we here describe the journey down the Vale, from Bettws- 
y-coed through Trefriw to Conway. [There is also a road 
on the east of the Conway, which is better for cyclists, and 
commands a finer view of the Snowdonian mountains. Start- 
ing from Bettws-y-coed the Waterloo Bridge should be 
crossed, but about a mile can be saved by taking the west 
road to Llanrwst]. 

Bettwr-y-coed is 4£ miles from Trefriw, and the walk is a 
pleasant one, under the trees and near the river-side for 
much of the way. In three miles Gwydir is passed, and 
then the road keeps some distance from the river all the 
rest of the journey to Conway, except for a mile just beyond 
Trefriw. 

Conway is 9£ miles from Trefriw, and there are several 
spots on or near the road to be noted. The first part of the 



I 



Distances, LLANRWST. 221 

road is the finest, and, having passed Trefriw Wells, we reach 
Dolgarrog (2 m. from Trefriw) and cross the Afon Ddu, which 
comes down from Llyn Cowlyd. On this stream there are 
some fine cascades, unless the weather has been dry. A 
rough road to the right of a cluster of cottages, and then 
a path, lead up to the first fall, where the water rushes 
down a rocky gully; there is an upper fall, which is very 
picturesque, but it is a very rough scramble to it amongst 
the trees, and they almost obscure it from view. 

A mile more along the Conway road, and we are at 
Porth-lwyd Bridge (6£ miles from Conway), near the fine fall 
described on page 215, and in less than another mile, at the 
hamlet of Tat-y-bont, we cross the stream which comes down 
from Llyn Dulyn and Llyn Melynllyn, and reach a road 
which would take us up to Llanbedr, and the hill above it, 
Pen-y-gaer, and on to Llyn Dulyn. [See page 216]. 

In less than another mile, and a little way past the fifth 
milestone from Conway, a gate is reached, where a road to 
the right and then a path (see page 215) lead in a mile and 
a half past Caerhun Church to Tal-y-cafn station. [The 
way cannot easily be missed if it is remembered that beyond 
the church the path runs in the same direction as the river 
to Tal-y-cafn station;] A few hundred yards further along 
the high road, a road from Aber through the Pass of Bwlch- 
y-ddeufaen, is on our left, opposite the entrance to Caer- 
hun. There is not much more to call for notice on the 
Conway road. A little less than four miles from that town 
we cross the road from Y Ro, or Bo-wen (a mile to the left), 
to Tal-y-cafn. As we go on we turn to the left sometimes 
to look at Tal-y-fan, which is near us, and to catch a glimpse 
of Carnedd Llewelyn, and at length the towers of Conway 
Castle rise boldly in front. We pass through the little vil- 
lage of Gyflln, and in half a mile Conway is reached. 



Xlantwst an& TTrefrfw* 

EXCVB8ION8 AND DISTANCES. 
FROM LLANKW8T STATION. 

• 

By Road.— [We give the nearest way, except where speci- 
fied].— Trefriw, 1 m., Gwydir, 1, Trefriw, via Gwydir, 2fc, 
Llyn Crafnant, 3J, Capel Curig, via Trefriw, 7, Llyn Geirion- 
ydd. 3, Llanrhychwyn, under 2fc, Bettws-y-eoed, about 3* by 
road, a little less by river path from bridge to road. 

By Rail.— Bettws-y-coed, 4 m. f Pont-y-pant, 9, Dolwyddel- 
an, 10, Festiniog, 20, Llandudno Junction, 11, Llandudno, 15, 
Colwyn Bay, 16, Rhyl, 26, Chester, 56, Conway, 12, Pen- 
maen-mawr, 17, Bangor, 27, Bethesda, 32, Carnarvon, 3o, 
Llanberls, 44, Snowdon station (Rhyd-ddu), 48. 

I 



222 LLANRWST. Gwydir Chapel. 



FROM TKEFBIW. 



By Road.— Llanrwst station, 1 m., Llanrwst town, 1*, via 
Gwydir, 2, Llyn Crafnant (refreshments), 2&, Capel Curig 
(vi& Crafnant), 6, Llyn Cowlyd, 4— 4J, Llyn Geirlonydd, 



2, Llanrhychwyn, about _U, Dolgarrog Fall, 2J, Porth^wyd 
about 6, Conway Fall and Pandy Mill, a little over 7|, Swal- 



Fall, 34, Pen-y-gaer, 5 J, Llyn Dulyn, 9J, Caernun, 5, Tal-y- 
cafn, 6J, Conway, 94, Llyn-y-parc, 3, Bettws-y-coed, vift 
Llyn-y-parc, 5J, Gwydir, U, Bettws-y-coed, 4J, Fairy Glen. 

" P* 



low Fall, 6|, Capel Curig, by high road, 10, Pen-y-gwryd, 
14, Summit of Snowdon, 19, Llanberis, 20J, Beddgelert, 21J. 

LLANRWST and Trefriw are only a little more than a 
mile apart, and they will be most conveniently de- 
scribed in one section. Llanrwst is a small town with 
a population (in 1901) of 2,645; Trefriw is a large vil- 
lage on the other side of the valley, nestling under the hills, 
and near several fine lakes. Omnibuses from Trefriw (fare, 
4£d.) meet the trains, and the nearest road (1 m.) turns to 
the right near the station gates, and passes over a proprie- 
tary bridge (pedestrians, Id., cyclists, 2d.) ; but many will 
prefer the 2£ mile walk through the town and past Gwydir 
Castle, which is a mile from the station. 

Past Qwydlr to Trefriw. 

Leaving the station, we have on the left the remains of 
Plas Isaf , the house where William Salesbury lived, who first 
translated the New Testament into Welsh. Passing through 
the town (and turning to the right by the old Hall in the 
Square), we turn to the right again from the Square for the 
church, on the right of which is the mausoleum of the old 
Gwydir family, the Gwydir Chapel (key at cottage at the 
churchyard entrance). 

This was erected in 1634 by Sir Richard Wynn, from a design 
by Inigo Jones, and is well worth visiting. The monuments of 
the Wynns, in the shape of brasses and marbles, are curious and 
beautiful, and there are some older monuments on the floor, re- 
moved to this place for protection, including the stone coffin of 
Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Wales from 1194 to 1240. The 
tomb of Sidney Wynn (who died in 1639, aged about a month) under 
the communion table is curious; the effigy represents a Welsh 
baby of the old style. The spear of Shenkin the outlaw (see p. 218) 
and Sir John Wynn's armour will also be noticed, and In the 
church the beautifully carved rood loft and screen, said to have 
been brought from Maenan Abbey, should not be missed. 

The bridge (reached by passing through the Square and 
along Bridge-street) is called by some the Gwydir Bridge, 
and it is said Sir John Wynn's son, Sir Richard, and his 
friend Inigo Jones, designed and carried out the work. 
Others say that it was built at the expense of the county, 
and there is nothing in its design to raise one's opinion of 



Cwydir Castle. LLAN&WBT. 228 

the powers of the Welsh architect. A man will perhaps be 
standing on it who for a small fee, by a bump against the 
parapet, will show you how the bridge shakes. At the fur- 
ther end a footpath on the left is the beginning of the 
nearest way to Bettws-y-coed ; and on the right is a path 
to Trefriw. 

Half a mile from the bridge the Conway road is reached, 
and a few yards to the left is the entrance to Gwydll* 
Castle, formerly belonging to the Earl of Ancaster, but 
now to Earl Carrington. 

The specified hours for visiting the Castle (fee, optional) are 
on Tuesday and Friday afternoon, up to 5 o'clock, but the house- 
keeper, who shows visitors round, does not refuse them admis- 
sion at other times, we believe, when the family are away. Most 
of trie existing building was erected early in the present century, 
although traces of sixteenth-century work remain. The house 
abounds in curiosities, and is largely furnished with beautiful 
carved oak, some of it of the time of Elizabeth and James I. It 
is seen to perfection in the Justice Hall. Amongst other inter- 
esting objects are a chair of Peter the Great's, a woolwork screen, 
attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots, the chair in which George 
II. was crowned, and an old Welsh harp; and there is a collec- 
tion of family portraits. There is tapestry also, and the fine 
Spanish leather covering some of the walls is particularly note- 
worthy. 

Sir John Wynn of Gwydlr, the first of the baronets, was a cele- 
brity in his day, and has left behind him valuable contributions 
to Welsh literature. His History of th* Gwydir Family (a new 
edition of which was issued at Oswestry in 1878) is a well-known 
work. He was M.P. for the county of Carnarvon In 1596, one of 
the Council of the Marches of Wales, and created a baronet in 1611. 
Being " shrewd and successful in his dealings," people were led 
to believe that he oppressed them, and, says Yorke, " it is the 
superstition of the place (Llanrwst) to this day that the spirit of 
the old gentleman lies under the great waterfall. Rhaiadr-y- 
wennol (better known as the Swallow Fall), there to be punished, 
purged, spouted upon, and purified from the foul deeds done in 
his days of nature." He died in 1626, at the age of seventy-three. 

Leaving Gwydir, we find on the other side of the road 
the approach to Gwydir UcTia, where there was once a sum- 
mer residence of the Gwydir family, and there is now an 
Episcopal Chapel. We ascend a flight of steps to the little 
building, where in the summer time service is yet performed 
in English on Sunday afternoon. The arrangements of the 
chapel (key at the neighbouring house) are curious. The 
seats are old oak chairs, and look at the painted roof ! Over 
the door is inscribed, "1673, 8.R.W.B." [A broad path 
from here would lead to a road, where, turning to the 
right, in a few minutes you would reach the Forester's 
House, mentioned below. The road commands fine views 
of the valley.]. 

If, having descended from the chapel, we turn to the 
right and go a little way along the Bettws road, a turning 



224 TREFRIW* The Well*. 

to the right through a gateway will take us to an old bowl- 
ing green ; we shall find it on our left ; and we could con- 
tinue up hill towards Carreg-y-gwalch, the site of what was 
once Shenkin's Cave, about which we have gossiped on a 
previous page (218, 219). There are walks in many direc- 
tions in the Gwydir woods, and we might ramble along the 
hills to Llyn-y-parc and Bettws-y-coed (see p. 228). 

Entering the high road once more, from the bowling 
green, we turn left for Trefriw, which is reached in a mile 
and a half. The houses at Trefriw are pleasantly situa- 
ted, with wooded hills rising above them, lodgings, gener- 
ally, are remarkably cheap, and a delightful week or two 
might be spent there, in climbing the hills, and exploring 
the beautiful lakes in the neighbourhood. There is, more- 
over, a Trefriw Improvement Company, which supplies 
visitors with amusement, and a lawn for tennis, bowls, 
croquet, and quoits, has been laid down. There are also 
Golf Links. Trefriw is little above sea-level, the river 
Conway being tidal up to the landing-place for the steamer, 
half a mile from the village. 

Trefriw Wells are a mile and a half from the village, and 
about a mile from the Steamboat Pier, along the Conway 
road. You walk up to a bar, pay your penny and the water 
is drawn from a tap. Baths are also provided. The road to 
Conway is described on page 221, and the way to the Porthr 
Iwyd Fall (3£ m.) on pp. 2&1, 215. Mountaineers can make 
their way past the fall to Carnedd Llewelyn [see Mountain 
Ascents] ; or, for a more modest climb, there is Craig 
Eryrod. For this, walk to the end of the valley in which 
Llyn Crafnant lies, and there turn to the right, past a farm, 
and up a mountain gully. [See Capel Curig section]. 

Trefriw to Llanrwst, by the Lakes and 
Llanrhychwyn Church. 

Visitors who are only here for a day will do well to walk 
to Llanrwst station by the following route (about 6J- m.) for 
the sake of seeing the lakes and Llanrhychwyn Church. 
[Carriages can be taken to Crafnant from Llanrwst station]. 
The road from Trefriw to Llyn Crafnant runs up from the 
village, on the right (as you ascend) of the stream which 
flows from the lake and will guide you there (2£ m.). You 
start up a road at the bridge, and, avoiding turns to the left, 
keep as straight on as you can, and soon after leaving the 
village the stream is seen on the left. The approach to the 
lake is by a narrow gap in the hills, and when you have 
passed through it, and see Liyn Crafnant, completely 
surrounded by mountains, you will acknowledge that there 



Lake*. TREPRIW. 225 

are few more beautiful spots. The lake, which now supplies 
Llanrwst and Trefriw with their water, was presented to 
the town of Llanrwst by the late Mr. Richard James, soli 
citor, as a monument records ; boating can be enjoyed on 
the lake ; and the boat-house, where refreshments are sup- 
plied, is a favourite resort. The nearest way to Capel 
Curig goes on by the water-side and over the hill, but our 
present purpose is to reach Llanrwst. Returning a little 
way down from the gap, we find a path which runs (right) 
to the left of a slate quarry, crosses another path from the 
quarry, and continues over the slopes and then up to Llyn 
Geirionydd, which is about twenty minutes' walk from 
Crafnant. It is a pleasant place for a summer's day, though 
not nearly so fine as the lake we have left. 

The fine old crusted delusion which places the home of Talies- 
sin on the banks of this lake is apparently based on a copyist's 
mistake. A " skimble-skamble " poem, preserved in 14th-century 
MSS., and of no great antiquity, makes Taliessin describe him- 
self as being " (Myfi Balyessin) o iawn Uyn Geirionydd," which 
means "of the true lineage (iawn-llin) of Geirionydd " (a naime 
which appears from its termination to be one of a well-known 
territorial or tribal type). Later transcripts make this into o 
lann Llyn Geirionydd, which means " (I Taliessin) of (or from) Llyn 
Geirionydd's bank." The late Lady Willoughby De Eresby (the 
owner of Gwydir) placed a monument to mark the more than 
imaginary site of the poet's home, and the ordnance surveyors, 
noticing a cross on the monument, set it down as " Bedd Talies- 
in," or Taliessin's Grave—a name which rightfully only belongs 
to a spot near Borth (see p. 37, Part I.). 

From the monument (if we are facing the water) the road 
which we must take goes to the left, and soon bends left 
again, away from the lake, and parallel for a short distance 
with the stream running down towards Trefriw. We gradu- 
ally ascend, and after a quarter of an hour's sharp walking 
(presently bearing right) see in front of us a group of yews 
almost concealing Llanrhycttwyn Church, or Llew- 
elyn's Old Church, as it is locally called. Crossing one 
road, our road soon reaches another, and exactly opposite 
there is a footpath leading to the lych-gate. 

Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, who had a residence at Trefriw, is sup- 
posed to have built a church there for the accommodation of his 
wife, who wished to avoid the fatigue and risk of attending ser- 
vice at Llanrhychwyn. The church there is " one of the rudest 
and most primitive houses of God." It is a low, double-aisled 
edifice, about forty feet long internally. The northern aisle, with- 
out question, is the older foundation. Its antiquity is apparent 
and striking. The roof-timbers are rude and primitive in con- 
struction; the architecture carries the mind back to pre-Anglo- 
Norman times. The timbers consist of rafters, ties, and braces, 
all very rough in finish, and pinned together by long wooden 
pegs. A part of the roof is concealed by a ceiling of plaster. The 
rectangular font corresponds with such aa are assigned to the 8th 
century. The walls are very thick, the entrance door is of very 



22o TREFRIW. Old Churck. 

thick old oak, double-paneled lengthwise, and Is hinged on 
wooden pivots, which are parts of the door-framing. There can he 
no doubt that this door agrees in point of age with the roof-tlm- 
oers. Some of the windows in the church are curious, and will 
repay a little time taken in inspecting them. Over the lych-gate 
there is carved-" it: ID: ot: 1462: wo." If 1462 is intended as a 
date, it is most assuredly an error. The entrance to the church- 
yard through the lych-gate which we have mentioned is from a 
field, and not from a public road. This is curious. 

In leaving this interesting relic for Llanrwst, we return 
through the lych-gate and follow the footpath down to a 
white house on a road (which goes to Trefriw), turn left for 
a few yards, and then take a footpath to the right. This 
path leads us soon into a lane, where we turn to the right, 
and walk through the woods until we join a third lane, and 
there turn right, and soon reach a little waterfall on the 
left, which shoots straight over the rock ; the local name 
of it is Rhaiadr-y-parc, hut Lady Willoughby renamed it 
" The Grey Mare's Tail," the name of a celebrated waterfall 
in southern Scotland, over which the stream from lofty 
Loch Skene "drives down the pass of Moffatdale." After 
passing this spot, if we descend to the left at the Forester's 
House we shall come to the high road. Turn to the right 
and almost immediately to the left for Llanrwst. 

Llanrwst and Trefriw to Llanrhychwyn 

and Llyn Qelrlonydd. 

For Llanrhychwyn Church (2£ m.) from Llanrwst station, and 
for Llyn Geirionydd, pass over the old Llanrwst bridge, reach 
the Conway road, and, a few yards to the right, turn to the left, 
up hill, where you see that it is 6J miles to Capel Curig. At the 
Forester's House, soon reached, turn to the right, and, glancing 
At the waterfall, keep on until you turn left just before another 
house is reached. After mounting the hill for a considerable dis- 
tance, pass through a gate at the end of a wood, and in a few 
yards take a path, left, over a wall by a ladder stile, and to the 
right of a ruined building. Llanrhychwyn Church is seen in front, 
on the hill-side, and it is reached by turning to the left where 
the footpath loins a road (from Trefriw), and, in a few yards, fol- 
lowing a footpath which turns up by a white house. The path 
runs on from the church (bearing rather to the right across a 
meadow) to another road, which is crossed, and a lane is entered 
leading to IAyn Geirionydd. For Crafnant, take a green road from 
the pillar (p. 225) ; after descending a while bear to the left and 
pass through a gate; then the path runs over the hill-side, below 
a quarry, and soon reaches the road to Crafnant. 

Another route through Trefriw may be described. A sign-board 
on the Crafnant road, a few yards from Trefriw bridge, points to 
the " Fairy Falls," and when the falls at the head of the little 
ravine are reached the way lies over a lofty bridge, from which 
go straight on for a short distance and then follow a path up to a 
road skirting a wood, and turn left. The road runs on to the 
white house desoribed above, and so to the church. 

One way to Geirionydd (2 m.) is up the Crafnant road from Tre- 
friw (see page 224), over a bridge to the left, about half a mile 



To Capel Curig. TREFRIW. 227 

from the village, then to the right, and finally up the hill near a 
stream which will guide us to Llyn Oeirionydd. A pleasanter 
way, especially on a warm day, is (in part) through the woods. 
Reaching the road skirting a wood mentioned p. 226, turn 
to the right for a few yards, and take the " path to Oeirionydd," 
indicated on a sign-board. Cross a wooden fence, and keep near 
a fence until, where it makes a corner, the path runs gradually 
up hill and soon down to the confines of the wood through which 
you have been passing. Then it ascends on the outskirts of the 
wood, until you pass through a gate, and bending to the right, 
through another, when you Keep along a fenoe to a road, where 
you turn to the right for the lake. [In starting for this route 
from the lake you follow the Llanrhychwyn road (p. 225) for some 
minutes, and then turn left by a stone wall, and almost immedi- 
ately pass through a gate in a wire fence]. 

To ascend the hill (938 feet), erroneously called Clunllom on 
the old and Crlnllwm on the new ordnance map, start from Trefrlw 
by the Oeirionydd path as described in the last paragraph, and 
when the wooden fence is crossed, turn to the left, and soon take 
a path stratght up hill, and when the open mountain is reached 
ascend to the left. The name by which the hill is known here- 
abouts is Orinttom (the withered and bare). 

Llanrwst and Trefriw to Capei Curig?. 

Turn up from the Gwydir corner by the Capel Curig road, 
already mentioned, and keep straight on past the Forester's 
House (not turning to the right there). The way runs by a 
wall for a minute or two and then (avoiding a road to the 
left) you cross a stream and continue up through the wood. 
Several mines are passed, the way lies through the works 
of one of them, and soon after, by a white cottage, the road 
inclines to the left, and further on it passes down through 
a wood to the highway, close to Ty Hyll (Ugly House) 
Bridge, 2f miles from Capel Curig. 

The Crafnant route has been partly described (p. 224). 
Leaving the refreshment cottage by the lake, follow the road 
onwards to a farm near the head of the valley, and, passing 
through the farmyard, turn to the left at the back of a 
building, and a path on the right of a wall will lead uphill 
to a little gap (about 1,100 feet) in the hills. [There is an- 
other route. Avoiding a green track to a quarry after leav- 
ing the refreshment cottage, take a track which runs under 
a heap of slate debris, and when this is passed turn up 
to the left. At the top turn to the right, and presently 
join the path first described.] Then our way is downwards, 
and soon we follow a stream until a wide, swampy flat is 
almost reached. There the path bends left, and now care 
must be taken to choose the driest places. The path keeps 
to the left of a wall and then of a wire fence, afterwards 
passes through a gate, goes on to the left of a little eminence 
in front, and then reaches the stream again (note this to 
guide you). It follows the stream until a slab bridge is 



228 TREFRIW. To Llyn Cowl yd. 

reached, over which it runs, and passes some distance to the 
right of a pointed rock, and so on to Capel Curig. [If, in- 
stead of going down to the stream and crossing it, you keep 
straight on, and almost immediately turn left, and soon right, 
a way can be found past a cottage, down into the Bettws-y- 
coed road.] For the return route see Capel Curig section. 
Coaches run from Capel Curig to Bettws-y-coed. 

Llanrwat to Llyn-y-parc and Bettws. 

There is a beautiful walk past Llyn-y-pare to Bettws-y-coed. 
Starting past the Forester's House once more (p. 227), and not 
turning to the right there, a wall on the left will guide you for 
something like a mile to a gate. Passing through it, soon take a 
rough road to the right and in a little while a path to the left, to 
the lake, along which you walk to the end. There cross a ladder 
stile in the corner to the right, and take a path bearing to the 
left. Passing through a gate, keep straight on for a little while, 
and then climb to the left and keep on in the direction in which 
you have come, but bear to the left, and reach a farm. A path 
to the right of the farm will lead you to another hill, and to a 
cairn. From there descend to the right to a path which bears to 
the left to a wood, and follow the Jubilee Path to Bettws (p. 231). 

To Llyn Cowlyd. 

The way to Llyn Cowlyd lies over the pass of Cefn Cyfarwydd. 
Keep as straight on as you can up the Crafnant road from Trefriw 
until, just beyond the houses, a road turns off to the right and 
runs up to a wood, which it skirts on the left, seats being placed 
here and there. About a quarter of an hour's climb from the 
turn, you cross a little water-course and pass through a gate, and 
rhen turn to the left by a roadway which at first runs slightly 
down hill and passes a great heap of debris. You see Crafnant 
and Geirionydd Lakes as you ascend, and soon come to some ruined 
cottages; pass to the left of them straight on up the hill behind 
them to another building, where you go through a gate again. 
Keep straight on to a small tree, where the path bends to the left 
You soon see before you a wall running up the hill; your path runs 
up near that wall, and reaches a road just where it passes through 
a gate. Beyond the gate the road is almost lost, but you bear a 
little to the right across the hill and it becomes plain again, and 
you pass through another gate near the highest point (1.407 feet 
high, and fifty minutes' good walking from Trefriw). Now the 
bigger mountains burst upon your view— Carnedd Llewelyn faces 
you, with Pen Helyg and then the rounded top of Pen-lllthrig-y- 
wrach nearer to you, and another rounded hill, Moel Eilio, still 
nearer, across the valley into which you are descending. A few 
steps down and you come in sight of Bryniog Ucha farm (by which 
your way lies). The stream is crossed, and you walk up the 
valley to Llyn Cowlyd (1,164 feet). The lake lies between Pen- 
llithrig-y-wrach (on your right) and the cliffs called Creigiau 
Gleision, which form part of Craig Eryrod. The distance from 
Trefriw to Cowlvd is about 4$ miles. From the other end of 
Cowlyd (1* m. long) a track, which in places is hard to distin- 

?ui8h, ana very boggy, especially after rain, leads to Capel Curig 
to the south), a little over two miles, the total distance from 
Trefriw to Capel Curig being about eight miles. To avoid bogs 
as far as possible, it is better to bear to the left on losing sight 
of Cowlyd. Llyn Cowlyd is the reservoir for Conway and Colwyn 



Distances. BETTWS-Y-COED. 229 

Bay. The total length of the pipe line is about forty miles, and 
the water is carried by steel girder bridges over several streams, 
and by a steel suspension bridge of 540 feet span over the Conway 
River between the older bridges at Conway. The purity of the 
water is beyond question, and the gathering ground is 1,350 acres. 
The works have been carried out from plans prepared by Mr. T 
B. Farrlngton, C.E., Borough Surveyor of Conway. 



JBettws-2*coe&* 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Miners' Bridge. 1 m., Swallow Fall, 2$, Ty Hyll 
Bridge, 2J, Pont-y-Cyfyng, 4$, Capel Curia, 5i, Pen-y-gwryd, 
9§, Pen-y-pass, 104, Llanberls station, 15|, Beddgelert, 17, 
Snowdon station (Bhyd-ddu), 201, Ogwen Cottage, 10i, Bethes- 
da station, 154, Llyn-y-parc, 2, Llyn Geirionydd, 4J, Llyn Craf- 
nant, 6, Gwydir Castle, 3, Llanrwst, 3$, Trefriw, 4J, Dolgar- 
rog Fall, 7, Porth-lwyd Fall, 8, Tal-y-cafn (by short cut), 
11, Conway, 14, Llyn Elsi, 1$, Capel Garmon Cromlech, 2}, 
Fairy Glen, 1J, Conway Fall and Pandy Mill (to see both), 



a little over 3, Penmachno, 41 (omnibus), Pont-y-pant, 

it 44 by the carriage road, and by the Pen Rhiw Ddolion 

road, about 4, Dolwyddelan, about 6 by the former and 



about 5J by the latter, Festiniog village, 144, through Dol- 
wyddelan and Blaenau, about 14 by Penmachno and moun- 
tain road, Yspytty Ifan, 7, Pentrevoelas, 6|, Cerrig-y- 
drudion, about 12, Corwen, 22. 

By JiatJ.— Llanrwst, 4 m., Tal-y-cafn, 10, Llandudno Junc- 
tion, 15, Llandudno, 19, Conway, 16, Penmaen-mawr, 21, 
Llanfair-fechan, 23, Aber, 25, Bangor, 31, Bethesda, 36, 
Carnarvon, 39, Llanberis, 48, Snowdon (Rhyd-ddu), 52, Pont- 
y-pant, 5, Dolwyddelan, 6, Roman Bridge, 8, Blaenau Fes- 
tiniog (Duffws), 13, Festiniog village, 16, Portmadoc, 26. 

Brakes meet the trains and run to the Swallow Fall, and 
to the Fairy Glen, Conway Fall, and Pandy Mill. A coach 
runs to Capel Curig two or three times a day; and there 
are also coaches running to Bethesda, Llanberis, and 
Beddgelert. An omnibus plies to Penmachno (Is.). 

The following is a summary of excursions described be- 
low: see others which are described under Llandudno, 
Trefriw, Capel Curig, &c. :— To Capel Garmon Cromlech and 
back by Conway Fall and Fairy Glen, 6-7 miles. By coach 
past Miners' Bridge and Swallow Fall to Capel Curig-; walk 
(7 miles) past Llyn Crafnant and Trefriw to Llanrwst sta- 
tion. Walk past Llyn-y-parc to Llanrwst, about 5 m. To 
Dolwyddelan station, climb Moel Siabod, descend to Capel 
Curig, and home by coach; or walk (8 m.) over east shoul- 
der of Moel Siabod to old Bettws road, and back to Bettws. 
To Llyn Ogwen by coach (for Idwal, &c), and walk back, 
12 m. By coach— To Pen-y pass for ascent of Snowdon; 
to Capel Curig for ascent of Moel Siabod; nearly to 
Llyn Ogwen for ascent of Carnedd Dafydd and Camedd 
Llewelyn; and to Llyn Ogwen for ascent of Tryfan and the 
Glyders. It is a fine drive to Pentrevoelas and back by the 
old road to Llanrwst, which commands grand views of the 
mountains. 

BETTWS-Y-COED (pronounced Bettoos-uc-coed), which 
lies at the junction of the Llugwy and Conway valleys, 
is one of the best halting-places on the fringe of Snowdonia, 



230 BETTWS-Y-COED. The Name. 

and during the season coaches and cars abound, carrying 
tourists to Bangor, Portmadoc, and Carnarvon, as well as 
to the local attractions of the Swallow Fall, Fairy Glen, 
Conway Fall, etc. In the way of easy communication with 
the sea on one side, by rail, and the mountains on the other, 
by coach, Bettws has great advantages ; for those who love 
streams and lakes and waterfalls it is an excellent centre; 
and of the thousands of tourists who annually pour through 
the gates of the railway station in the summer a large num- 
ber will give this village the first place amongst the many 
beautiful spots in Wales. 

Bettws-y-coed (The Bettws of the Wood or Woods) was known 
not long ago by the name which Pennant gives it, Bettws Wyrion 
Iddon (the Bettws of the Descendants of Iddon), to distinguish 
it from Bettws Wyrion Wgan, the old name of Bettws-yn-Rhos, 
near Abergele, and from many another Welsh parish, church, 
chapelry, and smaller place, called Bettws. That Bettws can 
only be a loan-word from the rare, but recorded, Anglo-Saxon 
word bed-hus (bead-house), " a house of prayer," is now agreed 
upon among philologists. But the history of the word is full of 
difficulties, the chief of which arise from its various uses in writ- 
ten and vernacular Welsh. It seems certain that, as far as place- 
names are concerned, Bettws was a name only given to subsidiary 
churches and comparatively late foundations, and was therefore 
practically equivalent to the later Capel (as occurring in Capel 
Curig, for instance), a word which, like its English equivalent 
Chapel (in the sense of a chapelry), Is a mere loan-word taken 
from the Normans, as the older Bettws was from the Anglo-Saxons. 
And the probable reason why the Welsh borrowed these words 
was that the species of subsidiary churches which they denoted 
were not of native Welsh origin, but exotics borrowed from their 
predominant neighbours or conquerors. 

The village, which is not much above sea level, stands on 
the Holyhead road, and, with a population of only 881, is 
something like a mile long. Our distances are reckoned 
from the station, which is near the centre. The hotels are 
on the road, and most of the lodging houses, but two or 
three will be found on the hillsides among the din-less 
woods. Bettws is a favourite resort of anglers as wall as 
artists. There is fishing in lake and river, and we have 
seen very fine salmon caught near Bettws. The Conway, 
the Lledr, and the Llugwy streams, Geirionydd, Crafnant, 
Elsi, and other lakes, are all within easy compass. 

Beaching the Holyhead road from the station by the public 
driving road, and turning to the right opposite a modern 
church of severe architecture, we soon pass a modernized 
hotel, where that most modest of painters, David Cox, 
actually gave a product of his easel for a signboard ! This 
picture has gone through many vicissitudes, including a visit 
to the Court of Chancery, where it was valued at a thousand 
pounds. Next we have on our right PorU-y~pair (the Bridge of 
the Cauldron), crossing the Llugwy, a bridge often painted, 



Pen-yr-alU. BETTWS-Y-COED. 231 

and always making a pretty picture. The bed of the river 
is rocky here, and the rocks are favourite seats with visitors. 
The road over the bridge runs to Trefriw (4£ m.), and Llan- 
rwst (3£), for which a corner can be. cut off by taking a river- 
side footpath which leaves the road about half a mile beyond 
the point where the railway crosses the Conway. But by 
this path we miss Gwydir Castle (see page 223). 

There are pleasant walks in the woods on the north of the 
Llugwy, and it is well worth while to climb to the rocky 
heights above. They are easily reached by turning to the 
left from Pont-y-pair, taking the first road to the right, and 
almost immediately ascending through the wood by the 
" Jubilee Path to Pen-yr-allt." Coming out of the wood follow 
the path, and soon bearing to the right make for the cairn 
on the highest point. This is the view — Moel Siabod (look- 
ing very fine from here), with Snowdon rising over its right 
shoulder; then, to the right, the Glyders; Tryfan, always 
easily distinguished by its remarkable rocky head ; Braich 
Du, Carnedd Dafydd, and Carnedd Llewelyn, all three on the 
same great ridge, the last rising behind Pen-llithrig-y-wrach ; 
Craig Eryrod in front of Pen-llithrig ; and far below us the 
Vale of Conway, with the Hiraethog Hills beyond, and to 
the right of Bettws the hills about Dolwyddelan. From here 
the ramble could be extended to Llyn-y-parc. (See p. 237). 

For those who keep to level ground there are walks by the 
Conway as well as the Llugwy. A road crosses the railway 
and runs down past the Old Church (which contains the 
effigy of Gruffydd ap Dafydd G6ch) to the meadows, past 
the beautiful bit of the river called the Church Pool, and to 
some stepping-stones which, except when the stream is too 
high, can be crossed to the Llanrwst road. A pleasant round 
of about seven miles can be made by going to Llanrwst on 
the east of the Conway, and returning along the footpath 
(starting from the bridge) and road on the other side of the 
river. The driving road is 8} miles. 

On the south side of Bettws there is Llyn Elsl (about 
750 feet high), 1$ m. away, or thirty minutes' climb for steady 
walkers. You start from "Bettws by the road between the 
church and the Oak Hotel, bend left, and immediately 
ascend by a road which presently zig-zags up the steep hill' 
side, with benches here and there to rest upon. At one 
point a sign directs us to turn to the right, and finally the 
road leads straight to the lake. Guests at the Waterloo 
Hotel, or at lodgings in that end of the village, can start 
up by a path which leaves the western road to the Fairy 
Glen (see page 234), 100 vards from the corner. The finest 
walk to the lake is by a " Jubilee Path," beginning with some 



232 BETTWS-Y-COED. Miner* Bridge. 

steps leading up from the Capel Curig road, immediately 
beyond a house called Mount View. The path ascends 
steeply through the wood, with lovely glimpses everywhere. 
In ten or twelve minutes we bend to the left and reach a seat 
with a charming prospect of the Valleys of the Llugwy and 
the Conway. Soon the path descends a little and then as- 
cends again, keeping round the hill, among the trees, with 
views of Bettws and the vale. When a ladder-stile is 
crossed we leave the wood, and the path, marked by poles, 
leadB us to an eminence from which there is a fine view of 
the mountains, Moel Siabod rising grandly not far away. 
The lake is now in view, and the poles still direct us to some 
seats near the water. [To return by this route note that you 
cross the direct road to Bettws, which is behind you as you 
face the water]. 

From the lake we may return another way. Walk along the 
left side of the lake, where a path will be found which, beyond 
the lake, passes through a wall, bears left for a few yards, and 
then goes across the grass and a little way to the right of a house, 
on past a ruined building towards a wood, to the left of the wood 
for a short distance, then to the left, through a little wood, across 
a stream, down to the Dolwyddelan roacC and then under the 
railway (on the high road). The whole walk is 5J m. 

If the walk is taken in the other direction the path is found by 
turning to the right after passing under the railway and walking 
for a few yards. The path bends to the right, crosses a little 
stream, and then ascends the valley, crosses the stream again, 
passes through a wood, skirts another wood for a short distance 
(right of it), and then bends to the right, and keeping to the left 
of a house, runs to Llyn Elsi. By going to the other end, near the 
point where the lake narrows, we see a small eminence with seats 
on it, and there the road to Bettws will be found (see above). 

Miners' Bridge and Swallow Fall.— On to 

Capel Curig. 

The Miners' Bridge (1 m.) and Swallow Fall (2£ m.) are on 
the Holyhead road, which runs past Capel Curig (5| m.) to 
Llyn Ogwen, Bethesda, and Bangor, and forms the first part 
of the way to Snowdon. At the station there are usually 
conveyances for the bridge and fall (return fare, ls.) y and for 
Capel Curig (Is. 6d., return, 2s. 6d.) ; and you must say 
Kappel Kirrig if you wish to be understood. 

Leaving the station and turning to the right for the Holy- 
head road, and there to the right again, we pass Pont-y-pair, 
and in less than a mile from there reach the Miners 9 
Bridge. A gate to the right takes us to the spot. The 
bridge is a sloping wooden structure, placed from the level 
of the stream on one side to the rocks on the other, and the 
views up and down the river are very charming. Passing 
over the bridge, a way back to Bettws could be found on the 
aU\er side. 



Swallow Fail BETTWS-Y-COED. 233 

A mile and a quarter more along the Holyhead road will 
bring its to Rhaiadr-y-wennol, the Swallow Water- 
tally which is by some considered the finest in Wales. 
View the fall from the top (turning to the left as soon as 
you enter the gate) as well as the bottom ; and beware of 
your steps, for one or two visitors have lost their footing and 
their life here. At the lowest depth is supposed — hardly to 
repose, the spirit of poor old Sir John Wynn, whom we 
have gossiped about at Llanrwst, and a troublous time he 
must have of it in such a boiling cauldron. The action of 
the owner of the property, in directing that the fall is to be 
freely enjoyed, will be appreciated by the public, and it is 
to be regretted that all landowners in Wales are not equally 
generous. [For a better view of the fall see below]. 

Following the road for Capel Curig (8£ m.), we have before 
us Moel Siabod (pronounce " Shabbod "), and the highest 
summit of Snowdon peering over its shoulder, with two other 
peaks, Grib Goch and Carnedd Ugan, to the right of Y 
Wyddfa. The Llugwy is still to the right, but we soon cross 
the stream on Ty HyU Bridge, though we could keep on the 
other side if we chose, and cross at Pont-y-cyfyng. Taking 
the former course, Moel Siabod soon rises like a great wedge 
on our left. In a mile and a half from Ty Hyll Pont-y-cyfyng 
(the Bridge of the "Narrow" or Defile), under which the 
Llugwy falls in a pretty little cascade, is to our left. From 
the bridge the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn is a conspicuous 
object, with Carnedd Dafydd to the left of it, and we keep 
these in view for some time, ahead to the right, as we pro- 
ceed. Moel Siabod again looks very fine above the fir trees 
on our left, and it is not long before we reach the junction 
of the Bangor and Llanberis roads, where Snowdon stands 
before us in almost unrivaled splendour — Grib Goch, Car- 
nedd Ugan, Y Wyddfa, and Lliwedd all visible, as they are 
seen from the garden of the Royal Hotel. For the hotel or 
for Pen-y-gwryd we turn to the left, and, looking back up the 
Bangor road, Pen-llithrig-y-wrach is seen within two or three 
miles of us. For Capel Curig see later pages. 

Here let us mention a round from Bettws which will bring us 
past the Svxaiow FaU again, and enable us to see It to perfection. 
Crossing Pont-y-pair we at once turn left, and then go straight 
along the road, between the fir trees through which w e catch 
pleasant glimpses of the stream, until, In about a mile and a hall, 
we see a summer house before us i almost concealed by ^ trees, on 
an eminence above the Llugwy. At a point where the road makes 
a turn to the right a path runs straight on over the field. Here 
two courses are open. If the road is followed to a farm (Pen- 
miff), the lofty Summer Eousb, a dilapidated .building .can be 
reached by turning to the left between the buildings, crossing a 
streamand following a path through a wall and a track to *he 
left to a gate, from which a path leads through a wood to the. 



284 BETTWS-Y-COED. Swallow Fall. 

building, where there is a fine view (9 h. from Bettws). The walk 
could be extended to Ty Hyll Bridge, and so back to Bettws. If, 
instead of going to the Summer House, you take the path over the 
field, you come to the most picturesque mew of the Swauow FaU, and 
perhaps the only spot where the whole fall, or rather succession 
of falls, is seen; out to see the view to perfection the spot 
should be visited when the trees are bare. The path crosses a 
stream, and turns down to the left; you cross a stile, and in two 
or three minutes, where the path forks, take the left branch, 
which speedily brings you over another little bridge, in view of 
the fall. The scene here is truly lovely — on the left a long reach 
of the river, and then on the right the long course of the cascade. 
The path runs on, passes through a wood, and becomes a cart 
track, and you can either cross a wooden bridge to the high road 
(but this bridge is private and may- be stopped up), or keep on, 
across a meadow, to Ty Hyll Bridge, and then return by the high 
road. But let it be noted carefully that this walk must on no ac- 
count be taken in the dark, and is better avoided in wet weather. 
[In the reverse direction, after crossing a stile from Ty Hyll 
Bridge, the track runs on the left of the field, and presently bends 
to the right and enters a wood, after a while leads to a fine view 
of the fall, and when it leaves the river a little tributary is 
crossed, then a stile, then another bridge, after which your way 
lies across a meadow to a road]. 

To the Fairy Glen, Conway Fall, and 

Pandy Mill. 

The chief attractions of Bettws besides the Swallow Fall 
are the Fairy Glen (1£ m.), Conway Fall, and Pandy Mill 
(about 3 m.) Visitors arriving at Bettws in the summer will 
find a number of brakes (return fare, 2s.) bound for these 
places, which can all be combined in one round of half a 
dozen miles. Reaching the Holyhead road from the station, 
we turn to the left, and we have our choice either to follow 
this road over the Waterloo Bridge (built in the year of the 
battle), and then keep the river on our right, or take a road 
which turns off just before the high road crosses the railway, 
and so keep the river on our left. The distance is about 
the same, but the latter route (which we will take) is perhaps 
a trifle shorter. It will bring us in a mile (from the end of 
the village) to Llyn-yr-afangc, called in English the Beaver's 
Pool. 

The real original Afangc (also spelt Addange) or Avanc which 
gave name to this pool was an aquatic monster, like the piast of 
certain Irish lakes. The story, found in various forms over 
Wales, is that he was dragged out of this and other pools by two 
Tehain Bannog, or (long-) norned oxen. He is said to have been 
lugged from here over Bwlch Rhiw 'r Ychain (The Oxen's Slope 
Pass), and past a pool, Pwll Llygad Ych <Ox's Eye Pool), stated 
to have been formed by the eye of one of the poor beasts, which 
had dropped out through sheer exhaustion. Finally, after a 
devious " trek," the " laidly worm " was duly dumped into the 
depths of Glaslyn (under Snowdon), whence folk, dead not so long 
ago, professed to have seen him emerge, and to have fled in terror 
at the blood-curdling sight. This old local folk tale was first w- 



Fairy Glen. BETTWS-Y-COED. 285 

corded by Edward Llwyd 200 years ago. He also tells how a woman 
witched the monster out of Llyn-yr-afangc, and lulled him to sleep 
on her lap, In order to bind him with iron chains, and how he 
incontinently woke and jumped back into the pool, taking with 
him one of her breasts. It was after this that the oxen 
dragged him out. As to the comparatively modern Welsh 
use of afangc in the sense of a beaver, it may be said that in the 
old Welsh laws a beaver is always called uost-lydan, or broad- 
tail, and that beavers are recorded to have been extinct in Wales, 
except in one river, the Teifl, before 1200. It is from this use of 
afangc that a curious and complicated etymological myth has 
arisen. First of all, the word afangc was manufactured by the 
etymologists into afangci, plural afangcwn (so as to make it mean 
a river-dog, from of on, a river, and ei, a dog, plural cum); next, 
this apocryphal afangcwn was invoked to explain the name of 
Nant Pfrangcou, which, however, unfortunately for this theory, 
is so called and spelt in the Book of Taliesrin, a MS. of the 13th 
century. There is, or was, however, a Sarn-yr-afangc, or Avanc's 
Causeway, in or near Nant Ffrancon, and there is a Bedd-yr- 
afangc (the Avanc's Grave) near Nevern, in Pembrokeshire. 

At this point we cross the Conway by a bridge, and go 
oyer a stile to our right in order to reach the Fairy Glen 
(in Welsh, Ffds Noadyn ; from ffSs, a ditch or fosse, and 
anoddyn, a chasm), which we snail do in a few hundred 
yards. We are now on a mountain road, once a high road be- 
fore Telford opened up North Wales. A house where the key 
of the glen is kept (but the place is always open in summer 
time) is passed, and soon a broad path turns downwards 
opposite a small building. There is a fee of twopence. The 
path soon turns to the right for the glen, a delicious combin- 
ation of torrent, rock, and foliage. 

We regain the old road and continue to ascend it, Moel 
Siabod is a fine object in the landscape, and after a while we 
Bee the Conway Fall before us, with a pathway (fee 2d.) 
running down to it, less than a mile from the glen. The views 
to be gained of valley and mountain during the progress of 
this walk are delightful, and the fall at the end of it is pic- 
turesque, not great in height or volume, except in time of 
flood, but placed in fine surroundings. There is a double 
fall, the water being broken by an immense boulder. Under 
this there is a salmon-ladder, but it scarcely adds to the 
beauty of the scene. Above the fall the Machno joins the 
Conway, and the meeting of the waters is a lovely spot, past 
which it was once possible to walk to the Penmachno road, 
but the "rights of property" here, as in other parts of 
Wales, scarcely agree with the rights of the public to enjoy 
the beauties of nature. 

We must regain the road we left, from which, over a stile, 
the Holyhead road is at once reached. Then we turn to the 
right, and almost immediately to the right again, by the 
Penmachno road, from which there is a fine view of the 
Glyders, Tryfan, and the Carnedd Llewelyn range. This 



236 BETTWS-Y-COED. Pandy MUL 

Penmachno road crosses the Conway river, and must be 
followed for half a mile until a lane turns out of it on the 
right. Take this lane, noticing the quaint old bridge on the 
right as you cross the Machno by another bridge. You can 
descend to the pretty ravine, but the water is sometimes 
discoloured by the neighbouring flannel mill. In a few 
minutes Pandy Mill is reached, and a walk through the 
garden (fee 2d.) takes you to the Fall of the Machno. Here 
nature has undoubtedly been assisted by art, for the old mill- 
wheel plays a most effective part in the view. The river 
runs between walls of high rock after it has passed the fall. 

If, after crossing the bridge before reaching Pandy Mill, we 
take a path on the left to a mountain road, and soon a path on 
the right, we shall reach a house bearing signs of having been a 
place of some importance in long past days, and still sometimes 
called the Abbey. It Is said to have been registered for the 
solemnization of marriages. Beyond It turn to the left and soon 
reach a " rocklng-stone " near a holly tree: but It will not rock 
with your unaided efforts. Continuing, and bearing right, reach 
a road, which runs round a hill, to the left of it, and ascend to 
the summit, from which a descent could be made to the Lledr 
Bridge. 

A further ramble of 1} m. from Pandy Mill will bring us 
back to the Beaver's Pool. We keep down the lane, and 
soon come to the meeting of the two streams, but it is diffi- 
cult to see the waters of the Machno here. A few steps 
further the Conway Fall is seen. Keeping down the lane, 
we reach a small gate with a sign-board, where we can 
take a pathway to the Jubilee Bridge (toll 2d.), and so pass 
to a large rock in the stream, commanding the view of a 
lovely gorge, a rocky vista with overhanging trees, down 
which we look towards the Fairy Glen. 

Returning through the toll-gate, another pathway leads us 
back to the lane, which we continue to descend, and pre- 
sently cross the Lledr Bridge to join the Dolwyddelan road. 
On this bridge, looking to the left up stream, we see high 
on the right a rock which is supposed to bear a strong re- 
semblance to " a sleeping alderman !" Turning to the right, 
five minutes' walk will bring us to the Beavers Pool. 

For the Jubilee Bridge from the Beaver's Pool, follow the Dol- 
wyddelan road, and in a quarter of a mile cross the Lledr Bridge. 
Walk up the lane for five or six minutes, and a board on the left 
directs us to the Jubilee Bridge. Follow the path, presently pass 
to the right of some cottages, and the toll-gate is reached for the 
view which we have described. The distance to the Fairy Glen 
and the Jubilee Bridge and back is about four miles. 

To Capel Garmon Cromlech. 

The cromlech, or sepulchral chamber, near Capel Garmon 
is the goal of another pleasant and interesting walk, in the 



Cromlech. BETTWS-Y-COED. 237 

course of which most of the Snowdonian heights come into 
view; or it may be conveniently brought into a round of 
six or seven miles, which includes the Conway Fall and 
the Fairy Glen. To reach the cromlech by the nearest way, 
we cross the Waterloo Bridge (see p. 284), turn right for a 
few yards, and just before we come to a row of cottages 
ascend a straight flight of steps to a footpath. The path 
presently brings us to a dwelling-house, and there a stream 
is crossed by a bridge, and we turn to the right. [A little way 
up the road from the bridge a path ascends the hill on the 
left and leads to a cairn on Gallt-y-foel]. We follow the road 
for three quarters of a mile, and then turn right to Capel 
Garmon, reached in another quarter of a mile. Keeping 
straight on for a quarter of a mile beyond the church, we 
then turn to the right, through a gate, and almost imme- 
diately take a path to the left, which leads to Ty'n-y-coed 
Farm. Passing to the left of the house, the path takes 
us through a gate on the right and over a couple of 
fields to the Cromlech, which lies in a square walled 
enclosure, just below a little hill with a large stone 
on the top of it. The cromlech is a remarkable one, a 
very good specimen of these curious relics of antiquity, and, 
as it is only a walk of 2\ m. from Bettws, well deserves a 
visit. From here it is half an hour's easy walk to the Conway 
Fall. The path past the cromlech leads almost straight into 
a cart track, and when a group of houses is reached we turn 
to the right by a road which soon bends left, and winds about 
a good deal before it enters the Holyhead road, close to the 
turning to Penmachno, and near the Conway Fall. The 
whole round, returning by the Holyhead road, is about 6£ 
miles, or a little more if we cross the stile a few yards to- 
wards Bettws, visit the Conway Fall, seen below, and then, 
regaining the old road (and not crossing the stile again), walk 
to the Fairy Glen. 

Reversing the route, it should be noted that when the "group of 
houses " is reached, and we have turned left past some thatched 
cottages, we pass through the left of two gates before us, keep on 
along the cart track, and where it becomes indistinct bear a very 
little to the left, for the path leading to the cromlech, which is 
between us and the little hill with the large stone on it. Then, 
when Ty'n-y-coed farm-yard is entered, it is the small gate of two 
gates facing us which we pass through, and our path leads along 
the bottom of a copse to a lane, where we turn right, and soon 
left, for Capel Garmon. 

To Llyn-y-parc and Trofriw or Llanrwst. 

The hills to the north of the Llugwy abound with lakes, 
small and great ; there are half a dozen within half a dozen 
mil es of Bettws. Llyn-y-parc can be reached by following 
the road from which the Jubilee Path to Pen-yr-allt ascends, 



238 BETTWS-Y-COED. Llyn-y-parc 

but it is better to go over Pen-yr-allt (p. 231). From the 
cairn continue along the hills and soon find a path running 
to a little farm. Passing to the left of it and crossing; a 
road, climb again and bear rather to the left, to join another 
path, which passes through a gate and descends to the lake 
(2 m.). Llyn-y-pa.rc is over half a mile long, and sur- 
rounded by low hills, some of them thickly wooded. Tour 
way now lies to the right of the lake, near the water, until 
the other end is almost reached, when you ascend by a path 
and then a road through the trees, and pass through a gate, 
from which a wall (on the right) will lead you all the way 
to the Forester's House (p. 226), and straight on to the Bettws 
and Trefriw road, where you are a mile and a half from 
Trefriw and half a mile from Llanrwst. This is a fine walk 
(of five miles or thereabouts to Llanrwst station), especially 
on a summer day, when the shade of the woods, through 
which you pass for part of the way, is agreeable. 

To Llyn Oeirionydd and Crafnant. 

Another of the lakes, Oeirionydd, is about 4} miles distant, and 
during the walk we have a fine view of Siabod, with Snowdon ris- 
ing beyond it. The way again lies up the road skirting the Llugwy 
on the north until Peneraig (p. 233) is passed, and some distance 
further, the road joins the Llanrwst and Capel Curig road. There 
you walk to the right until a white cottage is passed and mining 
works are in front, and turn to the left. The way to Uyn 
Oeirionydd passes a great water-wheel, and soon the lake is 
reached. The hill on the other side of Oeirionydd is Mynydd Deulyn 
(The Mountain of the Two Lakes), which stands between that lake 
and Crafnant. It is another three quarters of a mile to the other 
end, where the monument of Taliessin is placed. From Taliessin's 
monument (see p. 226) the walk could be continued by a path 
which runs over the slopes to the more beautiful Llyn Crafnant 
(north of west), and the total distance is about six miles. 

To Pont-y-pant. 

The lower Valley of the Lledr is a scene of wondrous beauty, 
and no one should visit Bettws without going as far as 
Dolwyddelan Castle, or at least, taking a ticket to Pont-y- 
pant, and spending an hour or two in the valley. The most 
beautiful part is between Bettws and Pont-y-pant. We have 
described the railway journey to Festiniog, with its water- 
falls, on page 219. Strange to say, the beauty of the Valley 
is better seen from the railway than from the road, and it is 
better to travel from Bettws to Pont-y-pant than the reverse. 

The carriage road runs over the Waterloo Bridge and past 
the Beaver's Pool, but there is another way by the Pen 
RhUo Ddolion road, the road marked Sara Helen (this should 
be Elen) on the ordnance map, which begins opposite the 
entrance to the Miners' Bridge. In distance naif a mile 
la saved, but the summit is 850 feet high. The round, 



Pont-y-pant. BETTWS-Y-COED. 239 

going by the Waterloo Bridge and returning by this moun- 
tain route, is a fine walk of about eight miles and a half. 
On the way to Pont-y-pant the Golf Links (connected 
with the Waterloo Hotel) will be passed ; and when the Pont 
is reached the Pen Rhiw Ddolion road will be found running 
to the right at the back of the hotel. 

A delightful excursion is also made by taking the train to 
Pont-y-pant, visiting the well-known bridge (which is out of 
sight at the station), and then walking on the south of the 
Lledr, along lane and path, to the Pandy Mill lane already 
described (p. 236). The distance from the station to the mill 
is about four and a half miles ; or to Bettws, starting on this 
side of the river, about five miles. 

Among the Hiraethog- Hit la. 

The Holyhead road from Bettws to Corwen has been briefly de- 
scribed in the reverse direction in Part I. (pp. 145, 146). It is an 
attractive walk or drive, with first of all delightful views of the 
Snowdonian mountains, and then a stretch of pleasant shade, and 
the Conway bordering it for much of the way, as far as Pentre- 
voelas, where we propose to turn aside for an expedition in the 
unfrequented regions of the Hiraethog Hills, as to the character 
of which see p. 183. A short distance beyond the inn at Pentre- 
voelas we turn to the left on the Denbigh road. Soon the country 
we are passing through is bleak, with great stretches of bare hill- 
sides, but in the distance such a view of the great mountains as 
you get from few other spots in North Wales. At one point, the 
height reached is between 1,200 and 1,300 feet, and descending 
we see first Liyn Alwen and then Llyn Aled, and in a little while 
with a solitary house in front (about 5 m. from Pentrevoelas) 
we turn left for Llyn Aled. [The road from here is so rough that 
driving is almost impossible}. At the other end of the lake, with 
a house some distance to the left, we turn to the right (the route 
being scarcely recognised as a " road "), presently cross the Aled 
stream, and before long cross it again, close to the fall called 
(like many others) Rhaiadr Mater (which is to the right). There 
is nothing particularly impressive about the surroundings, but 
it might be a fine fall after great rain. [A little further down 
the stream Is another fall, said to be more picturesque]. The 
rough road continues over the hills to Llansannan (pp. 183, 184). 
Distances are not easily estimated in these regions, but it is pro- 
bably between seven and eight miles to Llansannan from the 
point at which we left the Denbigh road, and Llansannan is 8 m. 
from Abergele and Denbigh, and 10—11 from Llanrwst. 

To Festinlog. 

Some pedestrians will walk to Festiniog. By the carriage road 
through Dolwyddelan it is about 14* miles, and the distance is 
about a mile less by the steep Pen Khiw Ddolion road, and the 
road from Dolwyddelan through Cwm Penamnen. Then there is 
the Penmachno route, passing near the Conway Fall and Pandy 
Mill. Penmachno (a contraction of Pennant Machno) is four and a 
half miles from Bettws, and in the church there, which contains 
a memorial window to Bishop Morgan, the translator of the 
Welsh Bible, is an earlv inscribed stone, unique in Wales, in con- 
taining the Christian XP monogram. The stoue states in, hopelessly 



240 DOLWYDDELAN. Distance*. 

tmgrammatical Latin that *' Carausius lies (burled) In this cairn 
of stones," [An omnibus runs from Bettws to Penmachno}. After 
Penmachno is passed there is a choice of two or three routes, one 
of which, the carriage road, runs within a mile of Llyn Conwy, tbi 
source of the Conway, three miles south of the village. By the 
carriage road (which joins the Bala road at Pont-ar-Afon-Gam) it 
is about 15 miles to Festiniog ; by a mountain road which turns to 
the right about two miles from Penmachno it is about 14. The 
walk, for a great part of it, is not a particularly attractive one. 



2>olw£fctoelan* 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Blaenau Festiniog, 5 J m., Festiniog, 8 J, by 
Roman Road, 8, Pont-y-pant, 1$, Bettws-y-coed, 6, Pen- 
machno, 4, Yspytty Ifan, about 8, Capel Curig (over the 
hill), 5£, Pen-y-gwryd (ditto), 6$, (about 5 from Roman 
Bridge station), Llyn Gwynant (ditto), by shortest way, 
6*— 7 (about 5— 6J from Roman Bridge station), and from 
Llyn Gwynant to Beddgelert, 4|. 

By Bart.— Blaenau Festiniog, 7, Pont-y-pant, 2, Bettws-y- 
coed, 6, Llandudno Junction, 21. 

DOLWYDDELAN (Dolwithellan), a village about 460 
feet above the sea, chiefly inhabited by quarrymen, 
lies in the Lledr valley, here broader and less picturesque 
than it is near Pont-y-pant, but Mod Siabod (which can be 
conveniently ascended from here, as we show in our " Moun- 
tain Ascents ") rises grandly on one side, and on the other 
Moel Penamnen and other summits, easily scaled, command 
magnificent views. The village has little hotel accommoda- 
tion ; lodgings can be found in several houses and cottages, 
at moderate charges, but of late Dolwyddelan, with its in- 
vigorating air, has grown in popular favour, and it is not 
always easy to secure rooms. 

The curious old Church at Dolwyddelan, with its oak 
screen and piece of oak roofing, is worth a visit. On the 
wall, by the north window, there is a Latin inscription, on 
brass, to this effect : — " Pray for the souls of Meredydd ap 
Ifan ap Robert, Knight, and Alice, his wife, who died 17th 
of March, 1525 ; for whose souls God be propitiated. Amen." 
At the higher end of the parish is an old farm house called 
Coetmor, where lived that great warrior, Syr Hywel y Fwyall 
— Sir Howel of the Battle Axe, who fought at the battle of 
Poitiers, and took prisoner the French king. 

The scanty ruin of Dolwyddelan Castle stands on an emin- 
ence a mile away, by the road which runs up the valley, 
past the post office ; and the key is kept at a cottage on the 
Castle hill. On the road, near Tan-y-castell, his birth-place, 
a monument to a great Welsh preacher, the Rev. John Jones 
of Tal-y-sarn, is passed. 



The Castle. DOLW YDDEL AN. 241 

The Castle was the birthplace of Llewelyn the Great [reigned 
1194—1240], son of Iorwerth Drwyndwn (**.«., of the Broken Nose). 
Iorwerth was the rightful heir to the throne of North Wales, but 
lost it on account of his nasal deformity; then he retired from 

Sublic life, and came to reside in this remote Castle, and here 
is son Llewelyn was born. The ruined cottage close to the Castle 
is called Hafod-y-gwragedd (the women's dwelling). The women 
dwelt there (so they say) while the men lived in the Castle. 
Tradition says there were thirteen cradles on the floor at the 
same time, and a babe in each cradle — and. in addition, another 
child in a " cawell " (an old-fashioned Welsh basket). 

One of the mountain walks is to Penmachno (4 m.), and 
on to Yspyity I fan (another 4 miles), where there was a 
hospital of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, dissolved 
by Henry VIII. The earlier part of this walk leads to a 
view of remarkable extent. Crossing the railway by the 
bridge near the station, turn up to the left past a long row 
of cottages. The mountain road runs by the side of a plea- 
sant stream, which is in a pretty little dell. After a while 
the dell comes to an end and soon the track ascends to a 
cairn on the summit of the pass. Here the path descends to 
Penmachno in the valley below ; but for the best view climb 
the hill to the right, called Y Rollwyd on the ordnance map, 
and this is what you see — Moel Fammau (N. of E.), and, 
carrying the eye to the right, Moel Forfydd, near Llangollen, 
the Berwyns,Arenig, the Arans,Cader Idris, the Rhinog range, 
Manod, Moel Hebog, the fine peak of Aran, with Y Garn> 
seeming to run abruptly out of it, Y Wyddfa, part of the 
Glyders, Moel Siabod, the Carnedd group, Pen-llithrig-y- 
wrach, Craig Eryrod, the river Conway near its mouth, and 
the sea. It is a very fine view, and an easy walk of an hour 
and a half. Another pleasant walk is up Cwm Penamnen, 
by which we might go to Festiniog, and from which Moel 
Penamnen might be ascended. Cross the bridge over the 
stream after crossing the railway bridge. The road runs 
past a large sheet of water, and about two miles from Dol- 
wyddelan, near a farm, a rough track runs up the hill-side 
(for Moel Penamnen) ; at a fence follow the path to the left, 
which leads to a turbary, and then the summit is in front 
of you. 

We have mentioned Sam Elen (page 238) between the Miners' 
Bridge and Pont-y-pant— the Roman road which connected Cono- 
vium (Caerhun) with Mtir Castell (Tomen-y-mtlr). After crossing 
the hill from the Llugwy Valley, it runs side by side with the 
turnpike road for some distance towards Dolwyddelan, whence it 
strikes off up Cwm Penamnen, and thence over Bwlch Carreg-y- 
frfin to the so-called Rhyd-yr-Helen and Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy. 
But in the opinion of some persons the Roman road runs over the 
hill about half-wav between Bettws-y-coed and Capel Curig, ana 
in front of n row of hon«e? nt Dolwyddelan called "Singrig." Bol- 
tfyddelan means Gwyddelan's Meadow. 



242 DOLWYDDELAN. To Capd Curig. 

To Capel Curl? over the Hiil. 

There is a rough road (highest point, 080 feet) all the way 
over the hill (5£ m.) Almost opposite the point where a 
broad path comes over the meadow from the old church to 
the Bettws-y-coed road a lane runs up the hill, and beyond 
the last houses bends to the right, goes through a gate, and 
passing a cave, bears to the left towards Siabod. Soon a 
stream is crossed, either by stepping-stones or bridge, 
and the track skirts the stream for a Bhort distance, 
and then runs up the hill to a building. A short dis- 
tance past the building, avoid a road to the right, and 
keep up towards Siabod, crossing the stream once more, 
by stepping-stones or bridge. Here the mountain presents 
an imposing appearance. The track bears to the right, and 
after two gates are passed it runs through a wall, and again 
bears to the right, and is followed without further difficulty 
down to the old Bettws and Capel Curig road, one mile and 
a half from Capel Curig (left), and four from Bettws (right). 
In the descent suddenly a fine view of Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, 
Carnedd Llewelyn, and Carnedd Dafydd, and the Glyder 
range, opens, out. When the old Capel Curig road is 
reached you turn left, presently cross PorU-y-cyfyng Bridge 
and Fall, and then turn left again to Capel Curig, 

To Pen-y-g-wryd by Bwich Rhiw 'r Ychaln. 

Follow the Festiniog road for half a mile from the post office, 
then, by a house, turn to the right along a green lane. After 
passing the Castle, ascend steeply, and keep as straight as you 
can to a lane which leads straight on to Ffridd Farm (2 miles). 
[But a mile and a half is saved by starting from Roman Bridge 
station, from which the distance is 5 miles. From there turn to 
the right, in a minute or two cross two bridges, then take a path 
on the left, and the left branch when it forks, and soon enter a 
lane, and so reach Ffridd']- Pass through the farm-yard and 
follow a cart track (N.W.), which in about ten minutes 'crosses a 
stream, and then continues up the hill until it ends at a gate in a 
wire fence, with an old sheep-fold on the left, and Siabod rising 
on the right. Keep straight on from the gate by a path, and the 
Dutoaunedd Lakes (1.207 feet high) come in sight. The ground Is 
marshy and the path not very distinct, but the way lies between 
some sheep pens (seen in front) and a rooky mound on their left, 
and then to a fishing hut on the margin of the water. Looking 
along the lake we see a steep grassy slope, which has to be 
climbed to Bwleh Rhiw 'r Yehain (1,100 feet). [At the Bwlch 
we could turn aside to the right for Moel Siabod (see Mountain 
Ascents), or left to ascend Crtbiau (1,938 feet) in a quarter of an 
hour]. Pen-y-gwryd, for which we are bound, lies a little to the 
right of the rocky hill we see in front of the Glyders, which are 
to the right of the Pass of Llanberls, down which we look. Per- 
haps we shall find the driest way over this boggy mountain by 
bearing rather to the left, and after a while we may possibly hit 
upon a very indistinct path leading into the Beddgelert road a 
little way to the left of the hotel. Take care not to get too tar to 



Distances. CONWAY. 243 

To Llyn Gwynant by Bwlch Ehodlad. 

The latter part of this Is a still finer walk than the last, and 
the two may be combined as far as Bwlch Rhlw *r Ychaln. The 
direct route (6$—7 miles, or 5— 5J from Roman Bridge) leaves the 
last-mentioned route immediately after passing through the gate 
by the 8he#p-fold, runs to the left along the moorland, with Cribiau 
on the right, and in a little over a mile reaches the large gap In 
the hills called Bwlch Ehedted (" The Pass of Flying ^— In the 




turn to the left along Cribiau. and in thirty or forty minutes from 
that Bwlch reach Bwlch Ehedtad (1,227 feet). Here you desoend to 
the right, and the view of Snowdon and the neighbouring heights 
is singularly impressive, especially If you climb a slight eleva- 
tion on the left (after turning to begin the descent). The path 
soon passes through a wall, and for a while bears to the right, 
and then to the left, and the Gwynant road is reached over half 
a mile from the lake, 5J from Beddgelert, and about 2 from Pen-y- 
gwryd. These walks should be avoided in foggy weather, for the 
way is easily lost. 

Conway 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.—Goli Links, 1 m., Llandudno, 4, Conway Moun- 
tain and Castell Caer Seion, 1J, Dwy-gyfylchl, through 
Sychnant Pass, 3 (for Fairy Glen), Penmaen-mawr, 44, over 
Conway Mountain to head of Sychnant Pass, on to Druids' 
Circle, and down to Penmaen-mawr, 7, by same route to 
Circle, and on to Llanfair-fechan, 9, Llangelynin Old 
Church, 3J, Trefriw, 9J, Porth-lwyd Fall, 7, Llanrwst station, 
10*. Bettws-y-coed, 14. 

By RaU.— Llandudno, 5 m., Colwyn Bay, 5, Rhyl, 16, 
Chester, 46, Penmaen-mawr, 5, Llanfair-fechan, 8, Aber, 10, 
Bangor. 15, Carnarvon, 23, Llanberls, 32, Tal-y-oafn. 6, Llan- 
rwst, 12, Bettws-y-coed, 16. 

CONWAY is a rare old town, and, like Chester, is sur- 
rounded by walls, but with this difference, that you 
cannot walk all round them, though, at Porth Ucha, the 
gateway on the Dwy-gyfylchi road, you can ascend and enjoy 
a fine view, and walk as far as the harbour (fee, 3d.)* The 
walk are in shape something like a Welsh harp, and they 
enclose several curiosities. The population of Conway is 
4,660 ; it has good hotel accommodation and lodging houses, 
and for the water-supply the Corporation have gone as far 
as Llyn Cowlyd. (See page 228). In 1872 a great discovery was 
made, no less than that of the lost charters granted to the 
Corporation of Conway by Llewelyn ap Iorwerth,who founded 
a Cistercian Abbey (afterwards removed to Maenan) on the 
site now occupied by the Castle Hotel. Conway is one of 
the few remaining places where the curfew bell is rung. It 
is a pleasant as well as an interesting place. 



244 CONWAY. The Castle. 

Travelling by railway to Conway we pass through Stephen- 
son's Tubular Bridge, which has partly hidden Telford s ele- 
gant structure, and intruded its ugly and useful self on a 
scene of great beauty; but if we are fortunate enough to 
walk across the Suspension Bridge when the tide is full, es- 
pecially if it is near sunset on a fine evening, we shall ac- 
knowledge that it is still a lovely picture, with the fine old 
Castle rising above the waters of the estuary. The distance 
from Llandudno Junction station is under a mile, and there 
travellers might alight and walk across the bridge (pedes- 
trians Id., cyclists, 2d.). If we go on by rail to Conway the 
railway takes us right under the walls of the Castle. 

The entrance to Conway Castle (admission 3d.) is only 
about two minutes' walk from the Suspension Bridge. From 
Conway station the Castle is reached by ascending to Rose 
Hill Street, and turning to the right. 

Conway Castle was completed in 1284 by Edward I.; and a few 
years later the King was himself besieged in his new Castle, and 
only relieved by a fleet with provisions in the nick of time. From 
Conway Richard II. started on the journey which ended in his 
imprisonment. It was at Conway, his native place, that the 
erratic Archbishop Williams served, first for the Royalists and 
then for the Parliament; and it was here that, in 1646, General 
Mytton had all the Irish defenders tied back to back and thrown 
into the river. It was between Conway and Bangor that, two years 
after, the battle between the Royalists, commanded by Sir John 
Owen, and the Roundheads, decided the fate of North Wales. 

The ruins of Conway Castle, if not the grandest, are the most 
graceful in North Wales. "The form of the fortress is an oblong 
square, standing on the edge of a steep rock, washed on two sides 
by the arm of the river. The walls are all embattled, and are 
from twelve to fifteen feet thick. They are flanked by eight vast 
circular embattled towers, forty feet in diameter, each of which 
formerly had a slender machicolated tower rising from the top. 
The chief entrance was from the town by a drawbridge over a 
very deep moat, and through a portcullised gateway, to the larger 
court." Having entered the gateway, we find ourselves in the 
first of two courts, bounded by the various apartments, all of 
which are in a lamentable state of decay, though still bearing 
marks of their former magnificence. On the right of the first 
oourt is the banqueting hall, one hundred and thirty feet long, 
thirty-two feet wide, and thirty feet high; it was lighted by nine 
windows. Two of the arches out of eight are left. Under- 
neath were the provision cellars and ammunition vaults, and at 
the east end was a chapel, some traces of which still remain. 
Continuing across the second, or inner court, we come to the King's 
Tower,' on the right, communicating with that of the Queen on the 
left. Queen Eleanor's oratory is a fine example of the architec- 
ture of the elbse of the thirteenth century, wnen the Early Eng- 
lish style was merging into the Decorated, and adjoining it are 
"priests* rooms." We then pass out to a little terrace, with a pretty 
view. But for the view the walls should be ascended by turning 
to the right soon after entering the gateway. The Castle was de- 
signed by Henry de El ret an, the architect of Carnarvon Castle. 

The church is interesting, and contains some stained glass 
and an ancient font. There is a fine rood loft, and gooa 



Pidt Mawr. Conway. 245 

carving on the stalls ; and when the building was recently 
restored an ancient pavement was discovered in the chancel, 
and part of this, with some of the old tombs and a stone 
dated 1066, will now be found on the chancel walls. The 
dated stone should be studied by antiquarian sceptics. Im- 
mediately beyond the screen, on the right, is the tomb of 
Nicholas Hookes, who, as his epitaph states, was the forty- 
first child of his father, and himself the father of twenty- 
seven children. The church also contains a monumental 
bust of Gibson, the sculptor, a native of Gyffin, close to 
Conway. The " Little Cottage Girl " met by Wordsworth, 
who answered " Seven are we," said — 

Two of us at Conway dwell, 
And two are gone to sea; 

and the grave of the family has been solemnly pointed out in 
Conway churchyard, as well as the " churchyard cottage," by 
a young custodian of the church ; though Wordsworth, ac- 
cording to his own statement, met the little girl at Goodrich 
Castle. The key of the church is kept at a house next to the 
Post Office. Passing through the churchyard we come to 
Plas Mawr in High Street (admission 6d.). 

At one time visitors to Conway were invited to " walk in and 
see Queen Elizabeth's Palace," so called on the strength of certain 
initials which were then supposed to be those of Elizabeth 
Regina, seen within. Plas Mawr was erected, or perhaps altered 
and enlarged, by Robert Wynn of Gwydir. For years it was neg- 
lected, but the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art have secured this 
interesting building as a picture gallery, and it is well worth 
visiting, as a remarkably good specimen, in excellent preserva- 
tion, of a town mansion of the Tudor period. Various dates, be- 
ginning with 1576, are found on the building, but it has been sug- 
gested that the original house was older. The mouldings are 
curious, some of the ceilings being covered with representations 
of animals, heraldic emblems of the Wynns and their connections. 
A gateway admits to a court-yard, where a flight of steps leads to 
a gallery round the yard; and if, passing into the house, you as- 
cend to the tower, there are pretty pictures of the scenery framed 
in the windows. In another part of the building a door leading 
into an Inner court is fastened by a huge bolt coming out of a 
recess in the wall. In the outer courtyard is a stone about whloh 
the visitor may hear stories. It is a curious fact that Plas Mawr 
has 52 doors, 52 steps up the tower, and 365 windows. During the 
summer a collection of paintings is exhibited at Plas Mawr. 

A favourite walk at Conway is round Bodlondeb (a large 
house on the Bangor road). Go down Castle Street from 
the Castle, and having passed through the walls turn down 
to the water. The walk now runs dv the water-side until 
some houses on the shore are reached, and then turns 
left for the Bangor road, and so back to the town. The 
walk could be prolonged to the Deganwy Ferry ; and so to 
Llandudno (about 3 miles altogether, by a short cut from 
Deganwy). The Links of the Anglesey a»d Carnarvonshire 



246 CONWAY. Town Hill. 

Golf Club are on Conway Marsh, over the edge of which we 
pass to the ferry, and are about a mile from the station. The 
Club house is close to the ferry. The Marsh is also the 
camping-ground for Riflemen from Cheshire and Lancashire. 

Conway Mountain. 

Every visitor to this part of the coast should ascend the 
Conway Mountain (or Town Hill). Half a mile from 
the railway station, on the coast road, which runs straight up 
the town, parallel with the railway, a foot-bridge crosses the 
line, and then you turn to the left, and soon, on the open 
hill-side, a road turns up towards the summit (808 feet), on 
which is Cos tell Caer Seion (also called Lleion on the maps), 
a fine specimen of an early hill-fort, about a mile and a 
half from the town. The hill extends from Conway to the 
Sychnant Pass, and the mountain road runs along it, but 
you must diverge from this to enjoy the ramble thoroughly 
and to look down upon the sea on the north. The late Rev. 
H. Longueville Jones says of the side that faces the sea : — 
" The precipitous face of the rocks seemed there to have been 
aided r>y art ; and there were traces of a circle of upright 
stones. No place for public meetings, or for public games, 
could have been better chosen." The hasty tourist will pass 
these antiquities without noticing them, but by the intelli- 
gent observer the ruined walls are still to be seen, and a little 
nearer the sea, as well as at other spots, traces of stone 
circles are distinctly visible. But if the records of the past 
are overlooked, nobody can resist the beauties of the picture 
of castle and river, sea and mountain — a scene which takes 
in the Conway river, with the hills about Bettws-y-coed, 
Moel Siabod, Fen-llithrig, Foel Fr&s, and other high sum- 
mits, and the towns of Conway, Llandudno, Beaumaris and 
Rhyl. From the ridge, the path descends gradually, and 
then a broad green track leads to the head of the Sychnant 
Pass. [The walk can be extended from Conway Mountain to 
Penmaen-bach, the furthest summit on the right, overlooking 
the sea; and Allt Wen on the left (with a beautiful outlook 
over Dwy-gyfylchi), where there are ancient entrenchments, 
marked Dinas on the ordnance map]. 

Through the Sychnant Pass to the 

Fairy Glon. 

The walk through the Sychnant Pass, and onwards through 
Dwy-gyfylchi, 3 miles — pronounced Doo-e-guv-vulkhee— de- 
serves particular notice. We can walk or drive to Penmaen- 
mawr (4£ m.) along this old road, which is on the south of 
Conway Mountaia (while the coast road is on the north), but 



Fairy Glen. CONWAY* 247 

the first part is abut in, and it is much better, and not much 
further, to take the road over Conway Mountain, described 
in the last paragraph. Having reached the SychltSHtt 
Pa.SS 9 there is a descent between the mountains, with de- 
licious glimpses of the sea. On our way down a fine echo 
can be awakened, especially by standing with our back 
against a rock passed soon after entering the road from the 
mountain. At the bottom lies Dwy-gyfylchi (Dwy Gyfylchi 
means the two converging passes, from Dwy, two, and Cy- 
fwlch, a compound of Bwlch), and the road, skirting Foel 
Litis, runs on to Pen?naen-mawr in a mile and a half. 

The Fairy Glen (fee, 3d.) is reached by turning left close 
to the small hotel at Dwy-gyfylchi, and walking on until the 
entrance is seen across the stream. Passing through the en* 
trance, you keep up the stream to the foot of the Fall, and in 
spite of enclosures, which have marred the wild beauty of 
the place, it is still a lovely little valley. We could pass 
through the Fairy Glen to the hills above and the Druids' 
Circle, or we could take a road turning up the hill, before 
entering the Glen, and so reach the summit of Foel Litis ; 
but we will give another route from Conway. 

To the Druids' Circle and Penmaen-mawr. 

Reaching the head of the Sychnant Pat» from Conway, opposite 
the track which conies down from Conway Mountain, strike up 
the hill, pass to the left of a cottage, and along a short lane. 
From the lane the path ascends by the side of a wall, and then 
you continue on a very narrow path along the steep hill-side above 
the Fairy Glen. When a cottage is passed (a little below the 
path), turn to the right along the left of a wall. After a while 
the path runs on from the wall, and presently crosses a stream 
by a plank bridge, soon passes through a gate, and shortly joins 
the path from Llangelynin Old Church. Then turn right for a few 
yards, and then left on a path which leads to a cart track at the 
base of Craig Hafodtoen, the humpy hill we have seen before us. 
Along this road we walk for under a mile until we come in sight 
of Penmaen-mawr town, far below us on the right, and here the 
Meini Hirion, misnamed the Druids' Circle, will be seen on a 
little eminence on the left (p. 252). The track which we leave to 
ascend to the Circle runs on to Llanfair-fechan ; but if we set our 
face towards the town of Penmaen-mawr we shall find a stile over 
a wall, and a track running a few yards straight on, and then down 
the hill for Penmaen-mawr. The whole walk is about seven miles. 

There are other attractive rambles from Conway : to Llan- 

?;elynin Old Church, for example (3£ m.), and along the hills 
rom there to Tal-y-cafn ; but these will fit in better with 
our excursions from Penmaen-mawr. 

Conway to Bangor. 

It will be convenient first of all to describe the journey 
by rail to Bangor, and then the watering-places on the way. 



248 PENMAEN-MAWR. Distance*. 

Seating ourselves in the train at Conway station, our first 
view, as we leave the town, is of Llandudno and Puffin 
Island. Conway Mountain is close to us on the left, but 
soon the train passes through Penmaen-bach tunnel, and then 
Penmaen-mawr Mountain rises boldly in front. The greyish 
hill on the left, along the face of which a path runs, not far 
from the summit, is Foel Litis, and, having passed it, Pen- 
maen-mawr station is reached. The town is situated be- 
tween Penmaen-mawr Mountain, on the right, and Foel Lifts 
on the left. A mile beyond Penmaen-mawr station the train 
plunges into the tunnel which pierces Penmaen-mawr Moun- 
tain, and a mile and a half further the station for another 
pleasant watering-place, Llanfair-fechan, is reached. Passing 
on we have a picturesque group of mountains on our left, and 
we look across the mouth of the Menai Straits to Puffin 
Island, and Penmon lighthouse to the left of it. The light- 
house was erected after the Rothesay Castle, a steamer plying 
from Liverpool to the Straits, was wrecked between the 
shore we are now travelling along and the island, in 1831, 
when more than a hundred persons were lost. Soon we 
look up the valley which leads to Aber Falls, and reach Aber. 
Beyond Aber the line passes under the slopes of Moel Wnion, 
which has been in front of us as we travelled from Llanfair- 
fechan, and we look over the Lavan sands and the Straits at 
Beaumaris and its Castle, and above it the Bulkeley monu- 
ment, erected in memory of a former owner of the Baron 
Hill estate on which it stands. Penrhyn Castle rises in front 
near the sea. A mile or two past Moel Wnion a fresh scene 
opens outr— the Valley of the Ogwen, with Carnedd Llewelyn 
and Carnedd Dafydd on one side, Elidyr Fawr on the other, 
and the Glyders at the end of Nant Ffrancon, all mountain 
giants of more than 3,000 feet ; but in the summer the trees 
almost shut out the view. After we cross the Ogwen we have 
a peep on our right at the "model village" of Llandegai, 
and then run through a couple of tunnels to Bangor, 



1penmaen*mawt\ 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Ascent of Penmaen-mawr, about 1 hour, Dwv- 
gyfylchi (at entrance to Fairy Glen and bottom of Sycn- 
nant Pass), 1J mile, Conway Mountain, 3J, Conway, 4$, Pen- 
maen-bach (rocks at base of), 2, Llanfair-fechan, by coast 
road, 2}, by Druids' Circle, 5, Aber village, 5, Aber Falls, 7|, 
Druids' Circle, by Ty'n-y-ffrlth, about 2J, by Gralg Lwyd, 
about 1J (or 50 mine.), Round Foel Lifts, 3*. Llangelynln 
Old Church, about 3, Ro-wen, past Llangelynln, about 4|, 
Tal-y-cafn, through Ro-wen, about 6*. Porth-lwyd Fall, 
through Ro-wen, about 8|, Trefrlw, ditto, about 11, ascent 



Attractions. PENMAEN-MAWR. 249 

of Tal-y-fan by Cefn Maen Namor, 2 hours, Bwlch-y-ddeu- 
faen (past Qraig Lwyd and Druids' Circle, and across the 
table-land). 4 m., Foel Fras, by same route, 3$ to 4 hours' 
steady walk, Carnedd Llewelyn, between 4J and 5 hours. 

By Rail.— Conway, 5 m., Llandudno, 9, Tal-y-caln, 11, Llan- 
rwst and Trefriw, 17, Bettws-y-coed, 21, Pont-y-pant, 25, Dol- 
wyddelan, 27, Festiniog, 36, Colwyn Bay, 10, Rhyl, 20, 
Chester, 50, Llanfair-fechan, 3, Aber, 5, Bangor, 10, Menai 
Bridge. 12, Holyhead, 35, Bethesda, 15, Carnarvon, 19, Llan- 
beris, 28, Snowdon, 31, Nantlle, 27. [For other excursions, 
Snowdonian coaches, &c, see excursions from Llandudno, 
pp. 201-3]. 

PENMAEN-MAWR is, indeed, a charming spot, to which 
few people come once without longing to come again ; 
and it has grown so much in public favour that the authori- 
ties are expending £20,000 in constructing a promenade and 
in other improvements. The sands afford excellent facilities 
for bathing ; the shops in the little town supply all the rea- 
sonable wants of visitors ; the place is sheltered by the hills 
on three sides ; and the drinking water is brought from 
springs on the mountain-side. Comfortable lodgings abound, 
though, so popular is Penmaen-mawr, they are often full, and 
the large demand naturally raises the terms. The custom 
prevails here rather more than at other places, we believe, 
of letting whole houses for the season,or for part of it. The 
resident population of Penmaen-mawr and Dwy-gyfylchi is 
3,501. 

The houses are separated from the sea by the railway ; and 
there are two or three ways of ascending from the station to 
the new town, which extends for some distance along the 
Bangor road and up the slopes of the hills. A new road runs 
straight up to the Bangor road ; and half a mile along it (to 
the right) is the old village, by some called Penmaenan, at 
the foot of Penmaen-mawr Mountain. There, also, lodgings 
can be found, rather cheaper, perhaps, than in the pleasanter 
terraces and villas in and near the town, which is the centre 
of onr excursions. From here one (the old) road runs to Con- 
way through the Sychnant Pass (to the right of the Moun- 
tain View inn), and another by the coast (each 4J m.) ; and 
the latter, in two miles, reaches the foot of Penmaen-bach, 
which completes a semi-circle of the hills begun at Penmaen- 
mawr. Adjoining Penmaen-bach is Allt Wen (the north 
shoulder of the Sychnant Pass), and the semi-circle is carried 
on by Foel Llus, the prominent hill to the east of Penmaen- 
mawr town, Craig Hafodwen, and Graig Lwyd, scarred by 
stone quarries. 

Penmaen-mawr combines the advantages of sea and moun- 
tain in a way which few other watering-places in Wales can 
rival. Loss than an hour's climb or drive by pony-carriage 
from the town there is an extensive table-land, over 1,000 



250 PENMAEN-MAWR. Ufa Helig. 

feet high, where visitors can inhale the exhilarating breath of 
the mountains ; or, if the pedestrian has a mind for longer ex- 
cursions, Carnedd Llewelyn is within the compass of a day's 
walk. Snowdonian coaches pass through the town, there 
are coaches for Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, and Bettws-y-coed, 
and there are brakes running to the Sychnant Pass and the 
Fairy Glen, which may be said to converge at Dwy-gyfylchi, 
or Capel Lulo, as the hamlet is called on the ordnance map. 

To Dwy-gyfylchi and the Fairy Glen.— On 
through the Sychnant Pass to Conway. 

It is a mile and a half along the old Conway road (which 
passes to the right of the Mountain View Inn) to the charm- 
ingly situated hamlet of Dwy-gyfylchi. Half a mile from 
Penmaen-mawr we come to a hill — a spur of Foel Lifts — 
sloping down towards the road, looking like a great beast 
with its nose, called Trwyn-y-wylfa, poking towards the sea. 

Its name Is thought by the older inhabitants to mean The Pro- 
montory of the Weeping. And thereby, and by the name of the 
adjoining Lavan Sands (Traeth La fan, the last word being treated 
as a corruption of wylofain, " weeping "), hangs a notable tale, first 
related in the so-called " History of Helig ab Glannog," a work 
by the Sir John Wynn of Gwydir whom we so often refer to in 
these pages. The tale forms, in fact, the northern pendant to the 
story of Seithennin and the " Plain of Gwyddno " that lies under 
Cardigan Bay, already told in our pages (p. 43, Part I.). The oldest 
allusion to both stories is found in the 12th-century Pedigrees of 
the Welsh Saints, where "Helig the Bald, of Tyno Helig," and 
* Seithennin the King, of Maes Gwyddno," are both described in 
identical words as men •• whose land was conquered by the 
sea," and are equally made the fathers of saints (all apparently 
patrons of sea-board churches), Helig of Boda and Gwynnin, the 
saints of Dwy-gyfylchi,and of Brothen, the saint of Llanfrothen near 
Beddgelert. There are two places out to sea called after Helig and 
his father Glannog. One is Llys Helig (Helig's Palace), the name 
of a bank a mile from Dwy-gyfylchi, uncovered at ground ebb ; the 
other, Puffin Island, whose old name is Ynys Glannog (or Lannog), 
i.e., Glannog's Isle. We meet with this name not only in the oldest 
Welsh Annals, but in the mediaeval French Romance of Sir Per- 
ceval. Tyno Helig means Helig's Dale. 

Though the fact is now forgotten, Helig's subaqueous kingdom 
was called by the same name as the land under Cardigan Bay. 
It is thus described in the History. — "Cantref Gwaelod. the most 
delicate, fruitful, and pleasant vale lying from Bangor to Gogarth 
and Deganwy, from Dwygyfylchau to the point of Flintshire, 
which came up from Rhyddlan to Priestholme ; from Aber and 
Llanvair (Fechan) to the river Ell, which did divide Carnarvon 
from M6n (Anglesey) and M6n from Flintshire, running between 
Priestholme and Penmaen (query, Penmon), and so discharging 
itself into the sea, a great way beyond Priestholme." The story 
goes on to say how Helig and his people, finding the un-negotlable 
waters at their heels, fled for their lives to a hill, and Dehold- 
ing thence the piteous overwhelming of their fair land, "made 
a great outcry, bewailing their misfortune, and calling unto God 
for mercy, the point of which hill is called Trwyn yr Wylfa, 
that Is to say, the Point of the Doleful Hill." It is, however, 



Fairy Glen. PENMAEN-MAWR. 251 

pretty certain that this place-name (which occurs elsewhere, see 
p. 108, Part I.) is not derived from gwylo or wylo, " to weep," but 
from fftoyl, " a watch " (gwylio t " to watch "), Gwylfa and Dugwylfa 
C watching-place ") being common as Welsh proper names lor 
hill-tops, so that Trwyn-y-wylfa means the "Look-out Promon- 
tory." As lor the river Ell, it is simply due to folk-etymology, 
as the History tells us later that Traethell (a name for the Lavan 
Sands, and a common Welsh word, being a diminutive of traeth) 
means the Traeth or sand of the river ISUt Lastly, the History 
and a slightly later authority call these sands "Traeth A flaw en, 
Unpleasant Wharf" (compare Red Wharf Bay, in Welsh called Traeth 
Cdch); so that the derivation of La fan from wylofain, "weeping," 
or oer lefain, *' cold crying," must be of more recent origin. The 
History also says that Pwllheli (see p. 106, Part I.) was so called after 
Helig, and that the ruins of his Uys were still to be seen there. 

Another version of the tale brings in the episode (compare p. 
43, Part I.) of the king being surprised at Llys Helig while carous- 
ing over his rare old brands of wine. In the midst of this Bel- 
shazzar's Feast the royal harper (who was also among the pro- 
phets, as indeed a real old Welsh bardd telyn was bound to be!) 
was suddenly seized with a dire prophetic boding that the hour 
had come, and, a moment after, the butler (who presumably had 
found water, as well as wine, in his cellar) tore up the cellar steps 
to the banquet hall, crying " The Sea! The Sea!" And all fled, as 
if the Devil was behind them, as indeed his recognized alterna- 
tive, the deep sea, was; but the butler and the harper alone 
escaped with their lives. Another version, gleaned on the spot, 
says that in Llys Helig lived a Juliet who cherished a hopeless 
passion for a Romeo. Her only comforter was the bard (please 
note that he also was a prophet), who sang to her that the families 
of these Montagues and Capulets would be united in wedlock 
when eels appeared in the cellar of the Llys, but not before! 
After this, of course, the eels had to come, but with them, un- 
fortunately, came the water, too. Whether these lovers were, like 
those in the MiU on the Floss, " in their death not divided," or 
whether they plighted their troth on the safely won, but dolorous 
heights of the " Weeping Ness," our informant could not tell us. 

Arrived at Dwy-gyfylchi (where lodgings may be obtained 
at one or two houses), Sychnant Pass is straight before us, 
but we turn to the right, before crossing a bridge, for the 
Fairy Glen (p. 247). Following the high road, we enter 
the Sychnant Pass (p. 247), and having nearly reached 
the head of it, find a path running up on the left to Conway 
Mountain (p. 246). This is the walk to take (instead of fol- 
lowing the road), and when we have arrived at the summit — 
for which, having reached the mountain-side, we climb gra- 
dually to the right — we can descend to the right, to a moun- 
tain road, which will guide us to the bigh road, and so to 
Conway. If our goal is Dwy-gyfylchi we may turn towards 
the sea by the village inn, find a pleasant walk following the 
course of the stream to a lane, and turn (left) along it to St. 
Gwynan's (properly Boda and Gwynnin's) Church, which is 
in a lovely situation. Then we may either keep to the left 
for Trwyn-y-wylfa, or right, past the grounds of Pendyffryn, 
for the coast road, reaching it a little way from the fine 
rocks of Penmaen-bach. 



252 PENMAEN-MAWR. Highland*. 

To the Druids' Circle. 

For climbing, as a comparatively easy expedition, and one 
which can even be accomplished on pony or donkey back, or 
in a pony-carriage, let us recommend the Meini Hirion of 
the ordnance map, the so-called Druids' Circle, one of the 
most remarkable remains of the kind in the Principality. 
The nearest way is by a road which leaves the main street 
opposite the new station road, and runs at the back of the 
English Presbyterian Church, immediately beyond which we 
turn up, first by a road and then by a footpath, to the right, 
into another road, which is reached near a white house. 
Along this upper road we walk to the right for five or six 
minutes (avoiding one turn to the left) until we approach 
a farm, which is a short distance from the road, on the left. 
Here we turn to the left, pass to the left of the farm build- 
ings, and at the end of a wall turn to the right, go through 
a gate before us {not the one on the left opening on to a 
footpath) and in a few steps turn to the left. The Graig 
Lwyd quarries are to the right of us as we ascend, and at 
last, near the top, we turn to the left, pass over a stile, turn 
to the right, and soon reach the table-land, where a sign-post 
directs us up the hill to the Druids' Circle (1£ m -)- The 
height to be climbed is about 1,200 feet, and will not be ac- 
complished in much less than an hour. 

If we want a more gradual climb, or if we resort to pony- 
carriage or donkeys, we must take a circuitous course (2£ 
m.). Starting along the Dwy-gyfylchi road, almost imme- 
diately we turn up a lane to the right — soon after passing 
(to the right of) the Mountain View Inn. The lane makes a 
steep ascent of about a mile to what is called the Green 
Gorge (a free translation of its Welsh name Gwddw GlAs — 
gwddw meaning "throat"), between Foel Llus and Crain 
Hafodwen. Following this up, at the top of it (about 1,000 
feet) we join the road, on which a sign-post directs us to the 
Circle. The road bends to the right (to the left is a house 
called Ti/'n-y-ffrifh), continuing along the base of Craig 
Hafodwen, and other sign-posts direct us to the Druids' Circle. 
[Still longer walks to the Circle may be taken — 1st, by passirg 
up through the Fairy Glen and ioining a mountain road 
which runs past Tv'n-y-ffrith ; or, 2nd, by walking to the top 
of the Svchnant Pass and following the route described on 
page 247]. 

There seems to have been little change in the Druids' Circle 
since the days of Charles I., when, in a survey of Penmaen-mawT. 
it is described as consisting of twelve stones, some of them "two 

Jards and three quarters " above the ground. Mr. Longueville 
ones (Archaedlogia Cambrttuli, 1846) says the circle " Is a double 
one; the Inner consisting of eleven large stones, some eight feet 



Sdbibaih-Breakers. PENMAEN-MAWR. 253 

high and three feet, square, much weathered, with smaller stones 
placed between them. The outer circle is much broken in, but 
the inner one is nearly complete; and within this again there is 
a trace of a still smaller circle — not concentric, but touching the 
inner circumference, as If it had been the foundation of a circu- 
lar dwelling-house." 

The circle is popularly called the Druids' Circle, from the 
groundless and long -exploded notion that " rude stone monu- 
ments " were the work of the Druids; but it is now generally 
believed that these remains are sepulchral, the stones (here, as 
elsewhere) having been so arranged to define and support the 
circle of the mound which was raised over the graves. Sir John 
Wynn of Gwydir, writing early in the seventeenth century, says 
there was a wall round the circle, and he thus describes the use 
of " the cyrcle within these longe stones, which wee call MeinJ 
Hirion " : — " Ytte should seeme that this was a place whereunto 
the aunoiente Brittaynes came from the Dinas aforesayd [Pen- 
maen-mawr] to encampe themselves and trayne their souldlers; 
ytt standes in a place fytte for lustes and turnamentes, and this 
cyrcle thus rounded with these longe stones might bee the place 
where the kinges tente was pitched; and neare to this cyrcle 
there are three pretty bigg stones uppon there endes, standynge 
triangle wiese lleke a tribbett [the Welsh trybedd; a noted 
Pembrokeshire cromlech is called Llech-y-drybedd], wheruppon as 
they say was sett a greate caudron to boyle meate in, and 
suerly the three stones doe looke as yf they hadd beene longe in 
a great fyre." The three stones mentioned here do not retain 
their position in the present age, but in the circle there are still 
two or three of remarkable size. 

Some sharp eyes profess to discover that one of the up- 
right stones resembles in shape a human figure ; therefore it 
has been dubbed the Deity Stone and the British public has 
freely cut its initials on it ! Another, which has a cavity at 
the top, is popularly called the Stone of Sacrifice, a name 
which embodies another " Druidical " myth. There is a 
second circle only a few score yards from the first (to which 
it is much inferior) in the direction o£ Llanfair-fechan ; and 
a third can also be found near by, but it is only to be traced 
by small stones and an embankment. The round hill which 
rises before us as we walk from the first to the second circle 
is called Moelfre, and deserves a passing word, if only to 
introduce old Sir John Wynn's notice of it, though the story 
is not told of this spot alone. 

According to Sir John, three stones once stood there— one red, 
one white, one blue; and these stones afforded a signal warning 
to Sabbath-breakers. The legend of the stones is this:— One Sun- 
day morning three women went to the top of this hill to winnow 
their corn. When they went to work some of their more religious 
neighbours warned them of the evil consequences of their sin, 
but these " faythles women, regardynge their profytt more than 
the obsearvynge of God's commandment's," went on winnowing, 
and were instantly turned Into stones of the same colour as the 
clothes they wore. 

Other remains of a dim antiquity are scattered about. The 
mountain road which we left to reach the Circle runs on to- 



254 PENMAEN-MAWR. Ascent. 

wards Llanfair-fechan, and shortly, when Moelfre is on our 
left, we see in front of us a tumulus, a heap of earth and 
stones, which has been opened. Before reaching this there 
is a stile over the wall on our right, and on the other side of 
the wall is another mound, which was once surrounded by 
stones, and near it is a very perfect little stone circle. 

To Llanfair-fechan by the Druids' Circle. 

It is a fine walk to Llanfair-fechan by the coast road (2f m.), 
which runs on the slopes of Penmaen-mawr Mountain, but we 
will describe a more circuitous route, in which several of the 
scenes we have already mentioned may be included. 

Let us reach the Druids' Circle by any of the routes mentioned, 
and thence keep on to the tumulus (see above). Our road then 
runs on the left slope of a little eminence before us. [On the left 
of the tumulus another mountain road gradually descends the hill, 
and this also leads to Llanfair-fechan]. The road on the left of the 
little eminence presently passes (some distance to the left of) a 
cottage at the foot of the cone of Penmaen-mawr, goes through a 
gate and runs alongside of a wall. When, near a sheep-fold, an- 
other gate is passed through, we keep down hill until a little wood 
is In front and a path cuts off a corner. Our way lies through this 
wood, and on to Llanfair-fechan (3J m. from the Circle). 

Ascent of Penmaen-mawr. 

Penmaen-mawr can be ascended by keeping along 
the table-land from the Druids* Circle. When the tumulus 
is reached (by the Llanfair-fechan mountain road, as de- 
scribed in the last paragraph), turn up to £he right towards 
the corner of a wall, and then bear to the left along the right 
slope of a little eminence. The summit of Penmaen-mawr 
comes in view, and you make for a white cottage at the base 
of the cone. From the cottage a path ascends the hill — not 
a very long pull, for we are over 1,200 feet above the sea at 
the cottage, and the summit is only 1,550 feet. As we ascend 
we see the ruined walls of the ancient fortifications of Braich- 
y-ddinas, and, arrived at the top, we have a fine view of sea 
and mountain. 

Braich-y-ddinas is amongst the most remarkable fortifications 
in Wales, and a few yards from the summit on the Llanfair-fechan 
side the remains of great walls will be seen. Traces of ancient 
houses may be found inside the walls, and within the last few 
years weapons or implements of stone have been discovered on 
the mountain. On the summit, between two cairns, is a well, 
which is mentioned by Sir John Wynn of Gwydir. 

We have reached the summit by a circuitous route (1$ — 2 
hours). The nearest way starts from Penmaenam (p. 249) by 
a road to the right of the Wesleyan Chapel, in three or four 
minutes turns to the left into a wood, and runs under a quarry. 
Two or three minutes after passing through a wicket the 
path runs up to a wall, and it keeps to the left of the wall 
for some distance and then passes to the other side. Then 



Old Churrh. PENMAEN-MAWR. 255 

the wall is followed until, near the cottage mentioned on the 
last page, the path runs up to the summit. The ascent from 
Penmaenan is rough and steep, and many persons will prefer 
the longer route bv the Druids' Circle, or the ascent from 
Llanfair-fechan. This is the view: — 

Starting with Beaumaris, on the other side of the Menai Straits, 
and carrying the eye to the left, we see the Bridges over the 
Straits, Carnarvon (opposite a white building on the Straits), the 
Rivals, Moel Wnion (beyond Aber), Moel Eilio (near Llanberis), 
one of the Aber Falls, Elidyr Fawr (rising well over the hill be- 
tween Moel Wnion and Drosgol), Llwydmor Isaf, and the rocky 
Bera Mawr and Bera Bach over it, Carnedd Dafydd (between 
Llwydmor Isaf and Llwydmor Uchaf), Foel Fras (looking past the 
inland peak of Penmaen-mawr), Drum, Tal-y-fan, Moel Fammau 
(tower-crowned), Rhyl, the estuaTy of the Dee, the estuary of the 
Conway, Bryn Euryn, and Llandrillo Church to the left of it, Llan- 
dudno, mountains of the English Lake District (looking over the 
end of the Great Orme), and the Isle of Man (looking to the right 
of Puffin Island). The view of Penmaen-mawr town below, the 
green fields, and the sea, is picturesque. On clear days perhaps 
Ireland is included. 

Having ascended from Penmaen-mawr, if you descend to 
Llanfair-fechan, facing the Menai Straits, with Puffin Island 
to your right, make as if for the Straits, and passing through 
the ruined walls of the old fortification, still perfect enough 
to walk upon, keep as straight as you can to the base of 
the cone. When the plateau is reached the path runs to 
the right of a wall, which is still followed where it turns 
to the left. Another wall is crossed by a stile, and the path 
leads to the road which runs down to Llanfair-fechan (see 
Llanfair-fechan section). 

To Llang-elynin Old Church.— On to 

Ro-wen. 

Ascending by the lane and up the Green Gorge again, we find 
a sign-post directing us to Lttmsrelynin Old Church. We turn 
to the left out of the road to the Druids' Circle, pass over a stile 
on the right of Ty'n-y-ffrith, and follow a path to the white cottage 
which we see on the other side of the table-land at the base of 
Cefn Maen Namor, crossing a stream on our 'way. The white cot- 
tage is on our right as we proceed, and soon we surmount the 
ridge of the hill and our goal is before us. To the left we see a 
little height called Cerrig-y-ddlnas, to the right the ragged-look- 
ing mountain ridge leading towards Tal-y-fan, and the church is 
between them. We soon reach it after passing a cottage, crossing 
a stil^ to the right, and following a path. The church itself (3 m. 
from Penmaen-mawr) is rather shut in by the hills, but the view 
from near it is charming, especially along the Vale of the Conway. 
It is one of the rudest churches in the kingdom, and is said to 
have been built in 1350. It is 927 f*»et above the sea. The kev is 
kept at a neighbouring cottage. If Cerrig-y-ddinas, to the north- 
east of the church, is ascended, traces of ancient defences will be 
seen, and the view includes the Conway Valley from the town to the 
hills about Trefriw. with the new church of Llangelynin down 



256 PENMAEN-MAWR. Tal-yfan. 

below us, the bold height of Pen-llithrig, and Moel Siabod to the 
left of It. 

From the church a road, to the left of Cerrlg-y-ddlnas, runs in 
three miles and a half to Conway; we turn neither to the right 
nor to the left, and for a great part of the way have the town in 
view. At last, just outside the walls, the Sychnant road is entered. 

But we propose a finer walk, of about the same distance. If we 
keep on past the church, and to the left of a cottage, we can soon 
find our way to the hill-side overlooking the Valley of the Con- 
way, and along this hill we walk, with the valley outstretched 
before us, for a delightful mile. If it is very clear we see the 
sands of the Lancashire coast and the Cumberland mountains, 
and look over the valley to the Arenigs; but the charm of the 
walk is the valley, itself (up to Llanrwst), lying far below us, 
and looking from here as beautiful as some writers have pictured 
it from more prosaic spots. If we are fortunate we may find a 
footpath which takes us into the road leading from Bwlch-y- 
ddeufaen to Ro-wen, but, in any case, we shall have no difficulty, 
if we keep pretty straight on, in reaching the village in a mile 
and a half, or less, and then we are some two miles from Tal-y-cafn, 
or four from Conway, and three from the head of Bwlch-y-ddeufaen 
Pass, which is three and a half from Llanfair-fechan. 

Ascent of Tal-y-fan past Maenycampiau. 

Tal-y-fan (2,000 feet) will be the goal of even modest climbers, 
and in going there we can visit Maen-y-campiau. From the 
Druids' Circle we may strike across the table-land and reach the 
cairn, if we are pretty good walkers, in forty minutes, or say an 
hour and a half from the town; but it is better to go past Ty'n-y- 
ffrith towards the white cottage (already mentioned on the way to 
the old church, page 255). The white cottage is on the slopes of 
Cefn Maen Namor, and along the side of this hill we turn, or, still 
better, ascend it. On the summit (1,282 feet) is a collection of 
huge stones — one about twenty feet long— which some writers 
have described as a displaced cromlech. That seems to be im- 
possible; but the position of the stones, on a low hill with no 
rocks near, is singular, and we can only suggest that a glacier 
was the motive power which deposited them here. Keeping along 
the ridge, we come to a hollow among the hills, and there, to the 
right of a couple of cottages, is Maen-y-campiau (the Stone of the 
Games), an upright stone on the edge of a huge circle, which can be 
traced with some difficulty ; and one theory is that this was a place 
of games. Past the stone we begin to climb again, and continue to 
the summit of Tal-y-fan (on which there are two cairns), about 
four miles by this route from Penmaen-mawr. From the first 
cairn there is a good view of Moel Siabod between Craig Eryrod 
and the bold Pen-llithrig; a good way to the left of Craig Eryrod 
are the Arenigs; and to the right of Pen-llithrig are the humpy 
Pen Helyg, Carnedd Llewelyn, with the shepherd's hut not far 
from the summit, Foel Fras, and Llwydmor. Anglesey looks like 
a map, and Llandudno, Rhyl, with the pier, Moel Fammau, the. 
hills near Llangollen, the Isle of Man, and the Cumberland moun- 
tains, are included in the scene. This is the view, with a slight 
variation, from both cairns; and when a little depression is 
reached beyond the second one. we can descend to Llanfair-fechan, 
or keep on along Foel Tswyd, which rises up from Bwlch-y-ddeufaen, 
or turn to the left and descend to the pass below us. 

Round and over Foel LIGs. 

Another walk will take in round the slopes of Foel LIQs, 
or to the summit. A path which has been constructed on 



Jubilee Walk. PENMAEN-MAWR. 257 

the face of the mountain, and is called the Jubilee Walk, in 

memory of the Queen's Jubilee, is most directly approached 
by the lane leading to the Green Gorge (page 2oS), at the 
bottom of which you turn to the left, and soon reach the 
walk. Another ascent is made from Dwy-gyfylchi, near the 
entrance to the Fairy Glen, and can easily be found. A 
third we will describe. Walk along the Dwy-gyfylchi road 
(page 250) for about three quarters of a mile, until it forks 
a little way past a farm, and take a mountain road which 
runs up to the right through a gate "by a big stone. Soon to 
your left you have the Sychnant Pass and Dwy-gyfylchi below 
you. Keep up this road until a sign-post shows the way to 
the Fairy Glen, and a green road runs up the hill, towards 
the Druids' Circle. The Jubilee Walk runs to the right from 
the sign-post, and there are seats to rest upon and enjoy the 
wide-extending view over sea and hill ; and at the other end 
of the walk you can descend to Penmaen-mawr by the lane 
from the Green Gorge, or keep on round the hill, and back 
either to the Fairy Glen or the Dwy-gyfylchi road at the 
point where you left it ; and the latter round would be a 
walk of about 3^- miles. It is worth while to leave the road, 
and make the short ascent to the summit of Foel Llus (1,181 
feet), and on the western slope a small stone circle will be 
seen. From the Foel a way could be found over Craig Hafod- 
wen to the Druids' Circle. The Isle of Man, on clear days, 
will be included in the view in this ramble, and you see Rhyl 
and the hills of the Vale of Clwyd. The meaning of Foel 
Lliis is Bilberry Hill. 

Past Bwlch-y-ddeufaen to Foel Frae and Carncdd 

Llewelyn. 

Ascend to the Druids' Circle, and to Moelfre (1 hour) to take 
your bearings. Then go straight across the table-land (often wet) 
to a gap in the hills at the end of Foel Lwyd (the western con- 
tinuation of Tal-y-fan), where a wall is seen running up the oppo- 
site hill. Here (1| hour from Penmaen-mawr) Bwlch-y-ddeufaen is 
reached, and the erect stone is seen a little way to the left. On 
up the hill by the left of the. stone wall before mentioned, and 
then upwards again by a wire fence until (J h. from Bwlch-y- 
ddeufaen) Drosgol (2,036 feet) is reached, and Llyn-an-afon is seen 
below. Then left along the ridge to Drum (2,528 feet), half-an-hour 
more; and then, after making a short descent, up the steep hill- 
side by a wire fence to the summit of Foel Frds (3,091 feet) in an- 
other 45 minutes. Now the way— southerly — is comparatively easy 
(about three miles), with no serious descent, to Carnedd Llewelyn 
(3,484 feet). It is betteT to ascend Foel Fras and Carnedd Llewelyn 
from Llanfair-fechan or Aber. From Drum (pronounce Drim), in- 
stead of ascending Foel Fr&s, we could have turned to the left and 
followed the ridge of Pen-y-castell (2,034 feet) and Pen-y-gader to 
Llanbedr and Tal-y-cafn railway station— a walk of about two hours 
and a half 



258 LLANFAIR-FECHAN. DUtanen. 

XlanfatMecban. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Druids' Circle, 34 m., Penmaen-mawr town by 
the Circle, 5, by coast road, 2%, Fairy Glen, by coast road, 
44, Fairy Glen, by Circle, about 6, Ancient Grave and 
Dinas, 2, The Three Streams, 1$, Bwlch-y-ddeufaen, 3J, Tal- 
y-cafn, 8J, Aber, 2, Aber Falls, 4J, Ascent of Carreg Fawr, 
under 1 hour, to Llyn-an-afon (over Carreg Fawr), 4J m., 
Ascent of Penmaen-mawr, 1J h., Foel Fr&s, 3 — 3| h., Car- 
nedd Llewelyn, 4 — 4$ h. [A Fine Round: To Bwlch-y-ddeu- 
faen, along the hills on the left (Tal-y-fan, etc.) to Llan 
gelynin Old Church, to Conway, and over Conway Moun- 
tain to Penmaen-mawr]. Some of the Snowdonian coaches 
pass through Llanfair-fechan, and afford facilities for de- 
lightful drives. 

By Rail.— Aber, 2 m., Bangor, 8, Menai Bridge, 9, Car- 
narvon, 16, Llanberis, 25, Snowdon, 29, Bethesda, 13, Pen- 
maen-mawr, 3, Conway, 8, Llandudno, 12, Colwyn Bay, 13, 
Rhyl, 23. Tal-y-cafn, 14, Llanrwst and Trefriw, 19, Bettws- 
y-coed, 23. [See Llandudno excursions]. 

LLANFAIR-FECHAN has grown with great rapidity of 
late years, and now, with a normal population of 2,763 
contains long lines of lodging houses, some of them facing 
the sea and some the mountains. The sands make a child- 
ren's playground, there are facilities for boating and bath- 
ing, there are many charming walks, and the mountains 
rising behind and to the east of Llanfair-fechan help to give 
it a temperate climate. The drinking water is brought 
from th* hills, above the Meeting of the Three Streams (p. 
261 7. Llanfair-fechan means Little St. Mary's Church. 

When you have crossed the bridge on the station road, if 
you turn to the left you soon reach the terraces on the beach ; 
but it is ten or fifteen minutes' walk to the upper end of the 
little town. Turning to the right in going from the station, 
you presently cross the Bangor road, where the hotels are, 
and keep straight on to the post office. The valley up which 
this road runs, Nant-y-felin, in which there are a number of 
lodging houses, lies between Penmaen-mawr Mountain on 
the left, and Carreg Fawr, and is watered by a little stream 
which runs into the sea near the station. On the west of the 
town are the pleasant park and mansion of Bryn-y-neuadd. 

Llanfair-fechan stands at the mouth of the Menai Straits. 
To the right from the beach, the Great Orme is in view, 
Puffin Island stands out in the sea, about five miles distant 
as the crow flies, but called seven by the boatmen, and on 
the coast of Anglesey are seen Penmon Church and " marble " 
quarries, near Puffin, and further to the left Beaumaris. 
Boats can be taken to Beaumaris, Penmon, or Puffin Island. 
Of Puffin and of Penmon we RDeak in our Beaumaris section. 



Carreg Fawr. LLANFAIR-FECHAN, 259 

To Carrey Fawr, Llyn-an-afon, and Aber. 

The summit of Carreg: Fawr (or Llanfair-fechan Hill) 
can be reached in less than an hour. Passing up through 
the churchyard to the left of Christ Church, and then to the 
right of the Welsh Church, cross a road and follow a short 
road and then a broad path, which presently becomes a lane, 
and runs high above Nant-y-felin. As soon as a little row 
of cottages abutting on the lane is reached turn up a side 
lane and almost immediately pass through a gate on the left 
and follow a field road to a little farm, to the left of which 
we pass for the ascent. [For the descent note that it begins 
through an iron gate]. Or, when the road is entered by the 
Welsh Church, keep to the right along it until we reach two 
cottages and turn up a lane to a white house, Bryn Goleu. 
Presently we find ourselves on a road which passes near the 
right of the summit, and arrived there (1,167 feet) we have 
an extensive view, including Moel Wnion, the rounded height 
on the other side of the Aber valley, one of the Aber Falls, 
Foel Fras, Tal-y-fan, and Penmaen-mawr. If we are bound 
for Llyn-an-afon we return to the road (from Bryn Goleu), 
soon take a bend to the left and soon again to the right, 
over the green slopes, until the Roman road from Bwlch- 
y-ddeufaen, which here presents the appearance of a sunk 
trench, is crossed ; then the road continues along the left 
side of Yr Orsedd, and we soon come in sight of Llyn-an- 
afon (4£ m.) below on the right, and can turn down to it. 
From the lake we may follow the stream to Aber y most of 
the way by a road on the right of the watercourse as far as 
Pont Newydd, and then on the left. There is trout-fishing 
in the lake. 

Ascent of Penmaen-mawr. 

After passing Marine-terrace on the Penmaen-mawr road, 
turn through what looks like the entrance to a private drive. 
When the road divides keep to the left, and (avoiding another 
turn to the right) when the open hill-side is reached a path 
to the right cuts off a corner. The road runs on to a house 
called Henar, and then ascends steeply through a small plan- 
tation. [For residents in the upper part of the town there 
is a nearer way to Henar. The road which runs up from 
the Bangor road on the left of the church-yard soon divides. 
Take the left fork, and when the entrance to a park is 
reached in front, turn to the right, and go straight up a lane 
and field track to Henar, then turn left, and in a few steps 
to the right, and pass through the plantation]. Beyond it 
a path cuts off a corner. Keep along the road until a path 
strikes off to the left, where above a heap of screes you see 
the Miners 9 Ladder on the rocks. After climbing the ladder 



260 LLANPAIR-FECHAN. To Druids' Circle. 

keep on towards the sea for a little while, then torn right 
by a broad path, and in two minutes left by a track, and 
make for the cone (see below). [After climbing the 
ladder beware of getting too near the quarries, where blast- 
ing is sometimes going on]. Instead of going by the Miners* 
Ladder an easier way is to keep along the road to a gate (900 
feet high, and half the ascent in time). Passing through the 

fate, and turning to the left, a wall-stile is soon crossed and 
eeping straight on you reach the plateau. The way runs a 
little distance to the left of a wall. Where the wall turns 
to the right follow it, pass a large sheep-fold and when a 
smaller one is reached turn up the cone, finding a track 
among the stones and presently passing through the fortifi- 
cations. [For the view see page 255]. To descend to Pen- 
maen-mawr town, go down the path which starts near the 
central cairn. When a wall is reached turn to the left, 
follow the wall, after a while pass through it and keep down 
on the right of it, pass a quarry, and reach Penmaenan (p. 
254). 

To the Druids' Circle, Sychnant Pass, 

Fairy Glen, and Penmaen-mawr. 

The road we described in the last paragraph (from which 
we turned aside to the Miners' Ladder) leads to the Druids* 
Circle, and is the best to take, for it runs high on the side of 
Penmaen-mawr, and commands views of the mountains as 
far as Elidvr Fawr, above Llanberis. Keep as straight along 
it as possible, and you come to a tumulus, where another 
route from Llanfair-fechan is joined. Continuing along the 
road a sign-post directs us to the Druids' Circle. 

For the second route, walk up the town, and past the post 
office to a bridge, and there (not crossing It) keep on to a sign- 
board "To the mountains." Here turn left, and ascend the 
lane, which, after a long and rather stiff climb, passes a farm, 
and reaches the open hill-side. Not much further a sign-post 
directs us to the Circle, and we continue up the road to the 
tumulus mentioned in the last paragraph (see also page 254). 
Trom here our road lies to the left of the low hill called Modfre. 
and we soon reach another sign-post to the Druids* Cirde. [H>re 
we could descend the mountain to Penmaen-mawr; see page 247]. 
Keeping to the mountain road, we follow it until a house 
is passed, and in three or four minutes we come to a gap in a 
wall on the right, and take a path which bends a little to the 
left, and then to the right, and joins the track to Llangelynin 
Church. We go along this for a few yards, and then follow an in- 
distinct path running to the corner of a wall on the left, and 
soon crossing a stream bv a plank bridge. Then the path (in- 
distinct in places) Tuns on along the hill-side, gradually getting 
further from the stream, and after a while keeps for some dis- 
tance to the right of a wall. The flag to our left shows the en- 
tr»T><»p to the Fairv Glen. When a n*th runs down to Dwy 
gyfylchi our (green) road bends up and runs on the left slope 



Bwlch-y-ddeufaen. LLANPAIR-PECHAN. 261 

of the hills in front. Soon the path which we have to take leaves 
this road and runs along the hill-side high above the Fairy Glen. 
It is a very narrow path, and the hill is steep, but the views are 
delightful. Presently the path runs down to the left of a wall, 
and along a short lane, and so to the head of the Sychnant Past 
(p. 247). Now we turn to the left down the Pass, see the Fairy 
Glen at Dwy-gyfylohi, and walk on to Penmaen-maw. The distance 
from Llanfair-fechan is about three miles and a half to the Circle, 
and the whole round to Penmaen-mawr eight miles and a half. 

To the Three Streams.— On to Bwlch-y- 
ddeufaen and the Conway Valley. 

One of the longer excursions best worth taking by those 
who like wild and solitary walks is that which runs through 
Bwlch-y-ddeufaen to Tal-y-cafn. But many will go up the 
valley to the Meeting of (he Three Streams, and make that 
their goal. Precise directions are unnecessary : we follow the 
road near the Llanfair-fechan stream for about a mile and 
a half, past Dinas, to the meeting of the waters, where three 
streams unite. [Those who return from this point can vary 
the walk by keeping on the left of the stream (instead of 
crossing the bridge when they come to it), following a lane 
which runs high above the valley, and finally descending by 
the two churches]. For Bwlch-y-ddeufaen we cross two of 
the three streams (a sign-post directs us to the Pass of the 
Two Stones), and then the road, sometimes a path, some- 
times a wider track, runs uphill, parallel with the ravine 
of the middle stream — the Afon Ddu. At the head of the 
little ravine a stile is crossed, and in a minute or two we turn 
to the right for the upright stone which is seen a little way 
off, and so reach Bwlctl-y-ddeufaen. We have had 
a delightful walk over the springy turf (though it is wet in 
places, at any rate after rain), and reached a height of 1,368 
feet, in an hour and a half. The standing stone is some- 
where about sixteen feet round, and nine feet high ; the 
other of the " two stones " {Dav, Faen) lies prostrate, about 
fifty yards away towards the wall (in the direction of Llan- 
fair-fechan), near a small upright stone. Near the large 
upright' stone are other ancient remains. 

Having joined the road from Aber to Tal-y-cafn at the 
Bwlch, we bear to the left, between Foel Lwyd and Drosgol 
(there is another Drosgol on the other side of Aber Falls), 
and may follow for about a mile a trackway, which is pro- 
bably the line of the old Roman road, to the left of the more 
modern horse path. 

Before the roads unite again we pass a couple of stone circles 
and two cairns. The local tradition (one of a type common in 
Wales) is that these heaps of stones were thrown down by a 
giant's wife, who, with him. was bound for Anglesey. £ a > they 
came up the pass, meeting a traveller, they asked the distance 



202 LLANFAIR-FECHAN. Dinas. 

to Mona. His reply was to point to his own wooden clogs, nearly 
worn to pieces; they were new, he said, when he quitted the 
island, and he had walked straight on ever since. The giantess, 
discouraged, threw down the contents of her apron, and there they 
remain to this day. 

About a mile from the Bwlch, a road to the right run* to 
Llanbedr, in two miles and a half (p. 216) ; but we keep 
straight on, and shortly, on our left, an upright stone, some 
seven feet high, is to be seen, and then, on our right, another 
stone of about the same height. Nor have we yet exhausted 
the remains of ancient times which make this walk so in- 
teresting to the antiquary, for a little further still, if we 
keep a sharp look out, a Cromlech will be discovered on the 
left, with a wall built up to it on each side. There are four 
supporters, making a perfect little enclosure, and the top 
stone is about nine feet by seven. Proceeding on our way, 
another upright stone, of smaller size, is seen, and then we 
reach Buarth farm, on the brow of the hill above the village 
of Ro-wen, which looks picturesque below. Ro-wen (Y Ro 
on the old ordnance map) is about three miles from the head 
of the pass, and two from Tal-y-cafn station, which is straight 
on ; or we can complete our antiquarian excursion by turn- 
ing aside to Conovium (p. 215), to which the ancient road 
was carried, and so extending our walk by about a mile. 
Prom Aber (10 m. from Tal-y-cafn) those will walk who want 
to explore the whole of this old Roman line of road, and to 
see all the antiquities which mark its course. A Roman 
milestone (now in the British Museum), giving the distance 
as eight miles from Canovium (Caerhun), was found in Feb- 
ruary, 1883, on Rhiwiau Ucha farm (p. 263), near the line 
of the road. 

To Dinas.— -An Ancient Grave, etc. 

In November, 1885, an ancient grave was discovered on Ty'n-y- 
llwyfan Farm at the foot of Dinas, the hill which rises beyond 
Penmaen-mawr Mountain. At the bridge in the upper part 
of the town still keep to the left of the stream, and past one 
sign " To the mountains " until you turn up by a chapel and a 
little stream. The lane turns to the right to the farm, and, 
passing to the left of it, in four or five minutes you cross a low 
stone fence on the right and turn left to a tumulus, which covered 
the Grave. The grave is described by Mr. J. E. Worsley, F.S.A., 
in a paper printed in the " Proceedings of the Society of Anti- 
quaries," vol. 9, p. 428 et seq. The grave was made by placing four 
large flat stones in an upright position, and covering them with 
a fifth, and in it were found calcined bones and pottery, which 
seems to have been of the usual type found with relics of the 
bronze age. Two stone axes and a circular stone ornament have 
a. so been found near the foot of Dinas. "The ground on this side 
of the hill," as Mr. Worsley says, and any one can see, " is sloped 
away in terraces, and has all the appearances of an ancient en- 
campment"; and Dinas means a fortified place. The lane run<? 
on to the open hill -side, and there we turn up the hill and come 



Ascents. LLANFAIB-FECHAN. 263 

to 6ome well-defined terraces, and distinct remains of a stone 
circle. The wall above Is crossed by a stile (to the left of the 
circle), and on the other side traces of other circles are found 
and on the summit (a little over 1,000 feet) many signs of former 
occupation. The view is impressive. Returning to the lane, we 
can follow it to another lane, on the opposite side of which a sign- 
post directs us to the Druids' Circle. 

To Tal-y-fan.— To Fool Fras and Carnedd 

Llewelyn. 

Tal-y-fan can be ascended from Bwlch-y-ddeufaen (p. 281); but 
the following is the direct route. Continuing up the lane past 
Ty Llwyfan Farm and the Grave (p. 262), when another lane is 
reached turn to the right and soon reach the open mountain. 
Then make as straight as you can for the summit (about 2 b.). 

It is a long tramp of over four hours to Carnedd Llewelyn. 
Walk up the lane by Bryn Ooleu (p. 259) and over Carreg Favrr, 

Eassing a little to the right of the summit, and keep on past 
lyn-an-afon (seen below on the right). The road runs almost to 
the summit of Drum, and we come to a wire fence, which will 
guide us to the summit of Foel Frds. [Llyn Dulyn could be reached 
by keeping straight on, south, from Drum, but it is a tiresome 
walk, not to be recommended; if it is taken, the valley should 
be struck well to the left of the lake, which is partly surrounded 
by precipices]. From the summit of Foel Fras (which is not par- 
ticularly impressive) we walk, with no great descent, almost 
south, and along what is called Cefn-yr-arryg on the old ordnance 
map, and Foel Grach on the new, to Carnedd Llewelyn. 

The descent from Foel Frds to Llanfair-fechan might be made 
by way of Llwydmor, from which the view is finer than from Foel 
Fras, and includes Snowdon. When the second Llwydmor (Isaf) 
is reached, a steep and tiring descent on the right should be 
taken to join the route between Llanfair-fechan and Aber Falls, 
described (in the reverse direction) below. By bearing to the left, 
to Blaen-y-garn, when this descent is partly made, and descending 
to the left (carefully) Aber Falls could be reached. 

To Aber Falls. 

The Aber Falls are about four miles and a half from here 
through the village of that name ; but they can be most con- 
veniently visited by taking the train to Aber station, from 
which they are about three miles distant. The high road 
from Llanfair-fechan is pleasantly shaded for much of the 
way ; after crossing the bridge near Aber a footpath on the 
left cuts off a corner, and joins the road described on p. 265. 

We will describe two mountain walks. Passing along the i road 
mentioned on page 259, and avoiding the turning to Bryn «<«««» 
two or thTee minutes' walk beyond it pass through a gate, ana 
almost immediately take a path on the left which goes up by a 
stream, and to the left of a wood. At the end of the wood bear 
to the right, and soon descend to a lane, turn to the left, ana 
passing near the site of the Rhiwiau Ucha milestone (p. 262) after 
a while come out on the open hill-side (in rather a boggy place) 
Then we make our way to the mountain road on the other siae 
of the morass, and there turn right for Aber, turning to the right 
again when a stream is reached, and following it to Pont NewydO. 
which we cross, and then turn left, soon ctoss another bridge 



264 ABER. Distance*. 

on the left, and follow a path which runs, not far from the brook, 
to the chief fall. [This walk might easily be united with the ascent 
of Carreg Fawr, by keeping on over the hill, and turning to the 
right by the Roman road (page 259), which crosses the track from 
Carreg Fawr, and in this way the morass would be avoided]. 

The second mountain walk leaves the Bangor road at the Gas 
Works at Madryn (about a mile and a quarter from Llanfair- 
fechan). Ascend a road partly by zig-zags to near the summit of 
the hill, where the road branches right and left. There take the 
left branch, and keep on until you find a path on the other side of 
the hill running down by the left of a wall. Descending by this 
path and passing through a wicket you reach a lane, and turn 
right for Pont Newydd. 



EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road— To the Falls, about 3 m., Llyn-an-afon, 4J, 
Bwlch-y-ddeufaen, 5, Tal-y-cafn, 10, Bethesda, over the hill, 
5, Moel Wnion, 1J hour, Carnedd Llewelyn, 4 — 4i hours. 

By Rail.— Bangor, 6 m., Carnarvon, 14, Bethesda, 11, Tal- 
y-cafn, 16. 

ABER lies inland about half a mile from the station, and 
the village is reached by turning to the left, on the 
Bangor road, near the church, and soon turning to the right. 
The road leads to Pont Newydd, for the falls, between the 
well -wooded Maes-y-gaer on the left and a spur of Moel 
Wnion on the right. On Maes-y-gaer there is an ancient 
camp (caer), but the hill is enclosed, and if you ascend it, 
from near Pont Newydd, it must be by trespassing. There 
are a few lodging houses at Aber, and it will never lack tem- 
porary residents who love mountains and want pure air, or 
daily visitors who wish to see one of the prettiest and most 
charmingly situated waterfalls in Wales. For fishermen 
there is free sport near Aber both in stream and sea. [The 
full name is Aber Gwyngregyn, and means in English the 
Mouth of the Gwyngregyn or Whiteshell River]. 

In the village, at the back of some cottages (to our left as 
we go to the falls) is an artificial mound, called the Mwd, 
flattened at the top, said to be the site of a castle belonging 
to Prince Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. 

There is a tradition In connection with " Llewelyn's Tower " 
which is related in Pennant. Llewelyn, who had taken prisoner 
William de Breos at the siege of Montgomery, in the reign of 
Henrf in., conveyed him to his castle at Aber. Llewelyn's wife 
was the Princess Joan, daughter of the deceased King John; and 
not his wife, it is said, from the love she bore him, but by the 
arrangement of others for reasons of 8tate. Be that as it may, 
Joan fell in love with the prisoner, and Llewelyn suspected it. 



Falls. ABER. 265 

De Breos was ransomed, but the fiery Welsh Prince got him into 
his cistle again, and this time hanged him. It is -ecorded that 
a bard, meeting the Princess before she knew the (ate of De 
Breos, asked her — 

"What would you give to see your Gwilym?" 
To which she replied— 

" Wales and England, and Llewelyn, 
" rid give them all to see my Gwilym." 
Upon which he showed her the body of the murdered man hang- 
ing from a tree. 

To Aber Falls. 

For the falls we keep up the valley, soon seeing one of 
them in front of us. In one mile and a quarter from the 
station Pont Newydd (to which vehicles are driven) is reached, 
and it is another 1£ m. to the first fall (about 600 feet above 
the sea). The way from Pont Newydd still lies to the right of 
the stream, which soon divides and the Afon Rhaiadr Fawr 
is crossed by a footbridge. After crossing the bridge, the 
path keeps a little distance from the stream, which about 
here runs through a glen well worth visiting. Walking 
along the path, we have a fine view of the nearer fall. The 
valley is a charming one, with beautiful woods clothing the 
sides of the hills in places and pleasant glimpses of the sea 
behind us. Let us recommend the visitor to see the fall after 
abundant rain ; it is then a magnificent spectacle. Several 
fatal accidents have happened within the last few years 
on the rocks near the top of the fall to visitors who were 
ascending or descending the dangerous path which leads to 
the upland valley. There is a very nasty bit on the path, 
and a slip is easy and would very likely be fatal. The second 
fall (ten minutes' walk) is much inferior. To visit it the 
stream must be crossed, not an easy matter, save when the 
water is low, but sometimes, when it is difficult near the first 
fall, a better crossing place can be found lower down. [The 
return from the second fall might be made over Moel Wnion]. 
When the stream is in flood, you can keep to the right of 
it for the ascent of Carnedd Llewelyn, etc., but the walk 
in places is rough and boggy, and you are apt to get lost 
among the trees. The route begins on a rough path before 
the footbridge is crossed, near Pont Newydd. 

Ascent of Carnedd Llewelyn. 

To ascend Carnedd Llewelyn from the falls pats the second and 
keep straight on up the valley in front, climbing the slopes on 
the left. After mounting for some time the cairn on the Gym 
is seen, to the left of Moel Wnion. The way now runs left along 
the slopes of Drottgol, and presently we pass a curious rocky 
point, Sera Bach (the Little Stack), from which there is a particu- 
larly fine view. We can see Penmaen-mawr Mountain and the 
Great Orme, Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd Dafydd, with Yr Elen 
standing out boldly in front of them, the peak of Snowdon rising 



2« ABER. Ascents. 

over Carnedd Ugan, Garn, Elydir Fawr (a beautiful-looking 
mountain from this position) across the Vale of Nant Ffrancon. 
the Penrhyn slate quarries looking close below us, Carnarvon 
Castle, and the distant Rivals. Here we join a route from 
Bethesda. Our way to Carnedd Llewelyn from Bera Bach runs 
south-east, to the right of Yr Arryg (2,875 feet), the next eminence 
(we shall find a line of upright stones to guide us over the shoulder 
of the hill), and continues by a path which we see before us, on 
a green ridge, and past a ruined shepherd's hut to the cairn on 
Carnedd Llewelyn. A descent could be made to Bethesda railway 
station, or to Capel Curig. [For view, etc., see Mountain Ascents]. 

Ascent of Moel Wnion and Carnedd 

Llewelyn. 

Reaching the Bangor road from the station turn to the right, 
and almost immediately to the left, and ascend to a white house 
(by a field path on the right of the lane). Continue uphill by a 
rough road to the open mountain and turn to the left by a moun- 
tain track. [Another route starts from the road to the falls, soon 
after passing a large mill in the village. Cross a stile and take 
a path as straight as possible up the hill. After a stiff pull you 
join the last route]. With a wall a few yards away in front turn 
to the right and cross a green road. Your road then runs near 
and to the right of a wall, you cross a fence, pass through a 
gate seen in front, and still ascend the road (which here runs on 
the left of an eminence) until the great mass of Moel Wnion Is 
before you. You could begin to climb it from here, but it is 
better to follow the track, still ascending, on the left, until it 
reaches its highest point, and then the summit (1,902 feet) is 
about J mile to your right. The view includes the peak of Snow- 
don and most of the summits seen from Bera Bach (p. 265), with 
Glyder Fawr to the left of Garn. Now descend into a valley 
and climb Drosgol (2,483 feet) to the south-east, from which you 
pass Bera Bach for Carnedd Llewelyn, as described above. 

Carnedd Llewelyn can be reached by a less arduous route by 
turning to the left as soon as you pass through the gate mentioned 
above, and following the wall until you come to a sheep-fold. 
Then avoid the turn to the left and keep straight on, gradually 
descending the hill-side until a stream is crossed. Follow a path 
and then a rough mountain road on the left slope of Drosgol, and 
finally make for Bera Bach, the right of two rocky summits. 

To Bethesda over Moel Wnion; and Round Moel Wnion. 

From the summit of Moel Wnion we might descend to Bethesda. 
From the cairn descend south to Gyrn, and, not climbing the 
little peak, keep over the right slope, cross the next low hill 
(Llefn), and, soon crossing a little ravine, follow a footpath to the 
right round Moel Faban. When you are well round the hill make 
for a road running down in front of a row of cottages to Bethesda. 

There is also a pleasant walk to Bethesda, along the slopes of 
Moel Wnion. We start by the way first mentioned for the ascent 
of Moel Wnion, and, reaching the open mountain, follow the moun- 
tain track to the left until, when we seem to be a little way past 
the village below, a plain path runs up to the right; and leads 
to a broad green road. Keeping to this road until it runs down 
towards a plantation, we then take a path on the left, and (pos- 
sibly missing the path) keep straight on along the slope, and pre- 
sently to the left of a quarry the track is plain. Keep straight 
on. and. avoiding a road to the right at the end of a wall, soon, 
with the Bethesda slate quarries in front, turn down a track to the 



Distances. BANG OR. 

town. Instead of turning down to Bethesda we might follow a 
path round Moel Faban (to the left), cross a little ravine and then 
ascend a path to the right of the hills in front (Llefn and Qyrn). 
When the ridge is reached it is better to bear to the left and 
descend towards Aber Falls on the left of a ravine. Returning to 
Aber from the falls, we thus complete the circuit of Moel Wnion. 

To Llyn-an-afon or Bwlch-y-ddeufaen. 

For Llyn-an-afon or Bwlch-y-ddeufaen we cross Pont 
Newydd and keep along the lane for about a mile, until we 
pass through a gate on to the open mountain side, where the 
road to Bwlch-y-ddeufaen runs to the left, near a curious en- 
closure of rough stones. Mr Longueville Jones mentions 
half a dozen carnedds or more, between Pont Newydd and 
the head of the pass, and one " large British enclosure in 
fine preservation." The distance from Aber station to 
Bwlch-y-ddeufaen is about five miles, and to Tal-y-cafn, ten. 
Follow the road as straight as you can to Bwlch-y-ddeufaen 
(see page 261). For Llyn-an-afon the stream is our guide all 
the way. Where the Bwlch-y-ddeufaen road turns to the 
left, we take a green road which runs on the side of the hill. 



Bangor. 

EXCUE8IONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Sea.— To Beaumaris, Llandudno, Liverpool, Carnarvon, 
round Anglesey, Isle of Man, etc. 

By Road {from Bangor Station).— Penrhyn Castle (| m. 
from the road), 2 m., Llandegai, 2, Bethesda, 5*, Ogwen 
Cottage, 10, Capel Curig, 15 i, Bettws-y-coed, 20}, Menai 
Bridge, under 2, Tubular Bridge and Anglesey Column, 3i 
(or nearly 1 from Llanfair station, but the bridge is only 
five minutes' walk from Tre-borth station), Plas Newydd 
Cromlechs, 5J (or 13 from Llanfair station), Holyhead 24, 
Beaumaris (for which we turn oft at Menai Bridge), 6J 
[Beaumaris is also reached by Garth Ferry, which gives a 
walking distance of about 3 m. altogether from the station ; 
and, from May to October, by a steamer which plies from 
Garth Point (about li from station 1 ) to Beaumaris], Car- 
narvon, about 8J, Llanberis, through Carnarvon, 153, by an 
old road, through Pentir, about 10 (or 7 from Pont Rhythallt 
station, near Llanberis). Omnibuses run to Beaumaris 
(Is. 6d.), Red Wharf Bay and Moelfre (2s., return, 3s 6d.). 

By Rail. — Aber, 6 m., Llanfair-fechan, 8, Penmaen-mawr, 
10, Conway, 15, Llandudno, 19, Rhyl, 30, Chester, 60. Bettws- 
y-coed. 31, Menai Bridge. 2, Llanfair, 4, Bodorgan, 13, Holy- 
head, 25. Amlwch (for Parys Mountain and Bull Bay), 24, 
Tre-borth (five minutes from Britannia Bridge). 3, Carnar- 
von, 9. Nantlle, 17, Afon-wen. 28, Llanberis, 18, Cwellyn, 19, 
Snowdon, 21,- Felin Hen, 3, Bethesda, 5. 

BANGOR (population, 11,269), which is the railway junc- 
tion for Bethesda and for the Carnarvon and Afon-wen 
line, with branches to Llanberis and Snowdon station at 
Khyd-ddu, can also be reached by steamer from Liverpool, 



268 BANGOR. Cathedral. 

It is a convenient centre, and is supplied with good hotels, 
and with lodging houses well situated in Upper Bangor, as 
well as at Garth near the pier. It is the seat of the Univer- 
sity College of North Wales (opened in 1884), and several 
denominational and training colleges are also established 
there. The water-supply is brought from tfie hills. 

From the station the road to the left leads to Upper 
Bangor and the Menai Bridge ; the street to the right (which 
is about a mile long) to the old city and the Cathedral. 
Proceeding along this street, we pass the Museum and Read- 
ing Room on the right, the British and the Castle Hotel on 
the left, and reach the Cathedral (in six or seven minutes). 

The Cathedral was restored by Sir Gilbert Soott at a cost of 
between £30,000 and £40,000 and Early English was substituted 
in some parts for the Perpendicular style which had taken the 

Slace of the earlier work. The church was dedicated to 
•einiol. St. Deinlol (i.e., Daniel) the Elder, who died in 584, is 
called Deinlol of Bangor in the Welsh Annals, and is said to have 
been its first episcopal or " bishop M — whatever that title implied 
in the primitive Welsh Church. The Cathedral was laid in ruins 
in the troublous times of Owen Glendower, and remained so for a 
considerable period. There are several ancient monuments, in- 
cluding one of Owen Gwynedd (died 1169). The epitaph of another 
Owen, the Idiltonic Welsh poet of the last century, Goronwy 
Owen, is also to be read on a tablet. A pair of lazy-tongs, once 
used for removing dogs from church, are preserved here. 

Proceeding along *the main street in about a mile from the 
station we come to the University College of North Wales, 
near Port Penrhyn and the Fish Weirs, and one of the 
lodges of Penrhyn Castle. The building used for this pros- 
perous College has ceased to meet its growing requirements, 
and a new structure is now in contemplation. 

Visitors who only walk down the main street of Bangor 
will form no conception of the beautiful walks in and about 
the city. From the Cathedral a well-wooded road (turning 
to the left as we come from the station) leads to Upper 
Bangor, which is pleasantly situated on a hill sloping down 
to the Menai Straits. The same point is reached, as we 
have said, by turning to the left from the station, and if the 
(London and Holyhead) road is followed for a quarter of an 
hour's walk a seat will be found, looking out over the mouth 
of the Straits, and up to the Bridges. A few yards further, 
on the left, there are public walks in a pleasant wood, Coed 
Menai. It is another mile or so (passing the approach to the 
George Hotel, which overlooks the Straits) to the Menai 
Bridge. A shorter return to Bangor might be made by 
turning to the right near the approach to the George Hotel. 
In clear weather there is a grand view of Snowdonia. 

Upper Bangor looks across the Straits to Anglesey on one side, 
and on the other commands a fine view of Snowdonia. The peak 



Jubilee HUl. BANGOR. 269 

of Snowdon. rising over a hill and appearing insignificant enough 
from here, is seen by standing a few yards above the church, 
opposite the Infirmary, and looking to the right of the Infirmary 
gate ; but for a good view of the mountains turn up Menai Avenue 
near the seat mentioned on page 268, take the first turn to the left 
and, at the highest point, looking down the road, you will see the 
rocky head of Tryf an rising over a little wood ; on the right is 
Glyder Fach, then, beyond a peak, the mass of Elidyr, then the 
small peak of Snowdon seeming to rise out of the curved sum- 
mit of Carnedd Ugan (almost over the white chimney of a distant 
cottage) ; and the conspicuous mountain more to the right is Moel 
Eilio. Left of Tryfan Braich Du, Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd 
Llewelyn, Drosgol, Foel Fras, and Moel Wnion are seen. 

From Upper Bangor, turning towards the Straits by the 
Belle Vue Hotel,-and taking a path to the left immediately be- 
fore reaching the Normal College, it is about ten minutes' 
walk to the bathing-place and also to Garth Pier (toll, 2d.), 
which runs for 1,550 feet into the Straits and commands a de- 
lightful view. Off the end of it lies the Clio training ship (ad- 
mission, Is.). Sili-wen bathing-place, which is at a beautiful 
spot on the Straits, is provided with enclosed hot and tepid 
baths, besides the bathing in the open. Garth is reached 
from the station (1$ m.) by the turning at the Clock Tower 
beyond the Cathedral. For ferry boat and steam ferry for 
Beaumaris see p. 276. 

On the hill to the right of the main street is a public 
recreation ground, with fine views of the Straits and the 
mountains, which can be better seen from other spots on the 
same hill ; and if we ascend the first road " to the Pleasure 
Ground " (going from the station) and follow it to Esgob 
Mill, cross a brook and a railway, and then of two paths take 
one to the right, we shall reach Llandegai (p. 270). 

Bangor to Ltanberis, by Road.— A Jubilee 

Hill. 

The railway makes a long round (17J m.) to Llanberis. By a hilly 
road it is ten or less, and three can be saved by taking the train at 
Pont Rhythallt station. From Bangor station turn to the right 
and immediately to the right again, take the left branch where 
the road forks, and the first turn to the left, beyond Glan-adda 
post office. Follow this lane (avoiding turns to right or left) to 
Pentir, finally crossing a stream near the village. The long 
ascent from Glan-adda is steep, but beyond this the road, 
though not good for wheels, can be cycled. It is not in itself an 
attractive road from Bangor most of the way to Llanberis, but 
there is a fine view first of the Carnedd range, with its precipi- 
tous sides turned towards us, and then of Snowdon and the Pass 
of Llanberis. A striking feature of the scene is Moel Bhiwen 
(1,282 feet). "When it is yet three or four miles away you see upon 
it the word JUBILEE, and if it is seen suddenly, from some points, 
the effect is almost startling. The letters are composed of dark 
fir trees planted amongst trees of a lighter green; and below the 
•• Jubilee " the letters G.W.D.A.S. appear. Gwdas is not a Welsh 
word, as the English visitor might be pardoned for supposing, 



270 BANGOR. Penrhyn GasUe. 

but the Initials of Mr. G. W. D. Assheion-Smlth, the owner of the 
property, who planted the trees to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee; 
and on the other side of the hill placed the date, 1887. At Pentir 
you turn to the right, avoid a turn to the left, and then one to 
the right, and before long reach a road, where, if bound for 
Llanberis (about 5 m.) you turn to the left. [Here you are only 
a little over a mile, from Moel Rhiwen]. For Pont Rhythallt you 
cross the road and keep straight on. Before long your road runs 
to the left of a little hill, on which is the ancient fort of 
Dinas Dinorwig, and presently you will find an approach to it. 
Beyond the hill turn to the left, and soon to the right (by Glas- 
goed Chapel) and so to Pont Rhythallt railway station. The view 
towards the end of the walk of the Rivals rising from the sea, 
and the Snowdonian giants, is particularly impressive. [A shorter 
walk (under 5 miles) past the " Jubilee Hill " is from Felin Hen 
station, through Pentir, to Pont Rhythallt]. 9 

To Penrhyn Castle and Bethesda. 

The railway to Bethesda calls for little description. For 
part of the way the mountains are seen, the Carnedd Llew- 
elyn range on the left of the valley, Elidyr Fawr on the right, 
the Glyders beyond, and Tryfan to the left of the Glyders ; 
but when Felin Hen station (2£ m.) is passed the line runs a 
good deal through cuttings. The next station is Tre-garth 
(3} m.), and when Bethesda is reached (5 m.) the mountains rise 
boldly in front. Within a short distance of Felin H£n on 
the left is Llyn Corwrion> a small pool associated with one 
of the most famous of Welsh folk-tales, which is similar to 
the legend of Llyn Cwellyn given on a later page. 

Penrhyn Castle, two miles from Bangor station, is 
a large modern mansion built in pseudo-Norman style. It 
is soonest reached by turning to the left beyond the Univer- 
sity College, where the Bethesda road turns 'to the right. 
Visitors are admitted on Tuesdays and Thursdays (10 to 5) 
when the family are away, and on Tuesdays only (2 to 5) 
when they are at home, by buying tickets (2s. for one person, 
Is. for each additional member of a party), at the Castle Hotel, 
Bangor, or of Messrs. Nixon and Jarvis, for the benefit of the 
Anglesey and Carnarvonshire Infirmary. Among the curiosi- 
ties is the old Hirlas Horn which belonged to Sir Piers Grif- 
fith, who was sheriff of Carnarvonshire in 1566. One of the 
Penrhyn drives leads in about half a mile to the model vil- 
lage of Llandegai on the Bethesda road, with cottages which 
make rustic life look idyllic ! The church contains several 
noteworthy monuments, ancient and modern, including one 
to the memory of the famous John Williams, Archbishop of 
York, owner of Penrhyn ; and another, a very handsome one, 
by Westmacott, of Lord Penrhyn (died 1808), and of his wife. 
The walk {Z\ m.) from Llandegai to Bethesda is a pleasant 
one, mostly near the Ogwen, with the fine mountain views 
which are mentioned as seen from the railway ; and very 



Slate Quarries. BANGOR. 271 

Likely a public conveyance will be found passing along from 
Bangor. In about a mile and a quarter from Llandegai the 
coach road crosses a bridge, and here the pedestrian might 
profitably keep on the rignt of the river for nearly another 
mile, and then cross to the coach road, unless he follows this 
►vest road all the way to the quarries. 

If we keep to the high road, we pass (near the station) up 
he maw ttreet of Bet he Sd a, and walk for about half a 
nile, when we see the mountains to perfection. Over the 
?enrhyn Slate Quarries Elidyr Fawr rises, beyond Elidyr 
he peak of Gam ; then we see the Glyders, Braich Du, 
^arnedd Dafydd, a sweep of precipices, and then Carnedd 
Jewelyn, with Yr Elen standing out in front of it, almost 
>ver the town. For the Penrhyn Slate Quarries we take 
he first turning to the right, beyond the town (about f m. 
rom the station). Some humorous verse by an old Welsh 
udge, Mr Leycester, will partly describe the operations in 
he quarries — 

It has truly been said, as we all must deplore, 

That Grenville and Pitt have made peers by the score; 

But now, 'tis asserted, unless I have blunder'd, 

There's a man that makes peeresses here by the hundred. 

He regards neither Portland, nor Grenville, nor Pitt, 

But creates them at once without patent or writ, 

By the stroke of a hammer, without the King's aid, 

A lady, or countess, or duchess, is made. 

Tet high is the station from which they are sent, 

And all their great titles are got by descent; 

And where'er they are seen, in a palace or shop, 

Their rank they preserve, and are still at the top. 

Yet no merit they claim from their birth or connection, 

But derive their chief worth from their native complexion, 

And all the best judges prefer, it is said, 

A countess in blue to a duchess in red. 

This countess or lady, though crowds may be present, 

Submits to be dressed by the hands of a peasant, 

And you'll see, when her grace is but once in his clutches, 

With how little respect he will handle a duchess. 

Close united they seem, and yet all who have tried 'em 

Soon discover how easy it is to divide 'em. 

No spirit have they—they're as thin as a rat; 

The countess wants life, and the duchess is flat; 

No passion or warmth to the countess is known, 

And her grace is as cold and as hard as a stone; 

Yet I fear you will find, if you watch them a little. 

That the countess is frail, and the duchess is brittle. 

Too high for a trade, yet without any joke, 

Though they never are bankrupts, they often are broke; 

And though not a soul ever pilfers or cozens, 

They are daily shipped off and transported by dozens. 

In France, Jacobinical France, we have seen 

How nobles have bled by the fierce guillotine; 

But what's the French engine of death to compare 

To the engine which Glenfleld and Bramah prepare? 

That democrat engine, by which we all know 

Ten thousand great duchesses fall at one blow! 



272 BANGOR. To Llyn Ogwen. 

And long may this engine its wonders display, 
Long level with ease all the rocks in its way, 
Till the Vale of Nant Francon of slates is bereft, 
Nor a lady, or countess, or duchess is left. 

To explain this we should say that the " ladies," " coun- 
tesses'," etc., in the verse are the trade names of slates ; and 
that blue slates are preferred to red. 

From Bethesda (which is anything but beautiful in itself) 
Carnedd Llewelyn, and other heights can be conveniently 
ascended, as we describe in our Mountain Ascents. The 
pedestrian can cross the mountain to Aber or to Aber Falls 
(pp. 266, 267). There is free fishing in the Ogwen, except in 
what is called the Pool, and for that-, we believe, permission 
can be obtained from the agent of the Penrhyn estate. 

The following are distances from Bethesda station:— Llyn Ogwen, 
4| m. P Llyn Idwal, i hour's walk from Ogwen, Capel Curig, 10 m., 
Bettws-y-coed, 15$, Pen-y-gwryd, 14, Llanberis, by high road, 20J, 
over the mountain, between 7 and 8, Beddgelert, by road, 21J. 

On to Llyn Ogwen. 

Brakes run from Bethesda station to Llyn Ogwen in the 
summer time (fare Is. 6d. ; return 2s. 6d. ; and usually a fee 
for the driver) ; and coaches pass the lake on their way to 
Capel Curig and other places. It is a beautiful drive of 
about five miles to Llyn Ogwen ; and look at the walls, in 
places covered with the Maidenhair Spleenwort. Ogwen 
Bank (where there is a house of Lord Penrhyn's), prettily 
wooded, with the hills rising above the woods, is passed, 
and then we come into a broader and barer part of the valley 
— Nant Ff rancon, a name of uncertain meaning ; for 
it cannot (see p. 235) mean the Valley of Beavers. Here we 
are surrounded by the signs of glacial action. This great 
valley was once the bed of a glacier, and in some of the 
numerous cwms (or hollows in the hills) minor glaciers re- 
mained when the larger one was shrinking away. The most 
remarkable of these cwms, Cwm Graianog (the Gravelly 
Cwm), is opposite to us on the other side of the vale, at the 
thirty-second milestone (2£ m. from Bethesda station). The 
hill* above it are Mynydd Perfedd on the Wt. and Carnedd- 
y-filiast on the right, and behind these is Elidyr Fawr. The 
Glyders rise in front of us, the crags above on the left as we 
approach Llyn Ogwen are particularly fine, and soon we 
reach the Fall* of th<> Orrtoen, or Benglog Falls, as they are 
also called. To see them properly, we must cross the wall 
and clamber down to the ed«?e of thp stream, and walk, as 
far as we can, the whole iength of the falls ;but they are more 
easily approached from the other side (see next page). Now 
we cross a bridge (under which are the remains of an older 
bridge) and reach the lake : Tryfan rises before us, Braich 



\ai Bridge BANGOR. 273 

mining up to Carnedd Dafydd, is on the left of Llyn 
r&n 9 and we arrive at the cottage (p. 301, which see 
yn Idwal, etc.). It is 5J miles from Ogwen Cottage 
pel Curig. The pedestrian might return to Bethesd* 
3 old road on the other side of the Ogwen (starting a 
ards from the cottage), and from this road he could 
gain a good view of the falls. 

Menai and Tubular Bridges, Anglesey 
lumn, and Pl&s Newydd Cromlechs. 

walk to Menal Bridge from Bangor Station 
y 2 miles) is a beautiful one (p. 268). If we go by rail, 
e over 1} mile will land us at Menai Bridge station. 

3 may believe many enthusiastic Welshmen, the crossing of 
raits by means of a bridge, and at headlong speed, was fore- 
ges ago by a Welsh bard and seer, whose prediction has 
translated:— 

I'll rise and dress myself in Mona's Isle, 
Then in Caerlleon to breakfast stay awhile, 
In Erin's land my noontide meal I'll eat, 
Return and sup by Mona's fire of peat. 

is seems plainly to indicate " Wild Irishman on the brain " 
>ard some centuries ago, but more prosaic Welshmen say 
tobyn Ddu, the bard in question, living near Holyhead, on 
t to the town one day found two vessels waiting for cargo; 
as named " The Chester " (a city in Welsh called Caerlleon), 
lich, with the captain, he breakfasted; the other was 
i as "The Ireland." and on board of her he dined; and then 
d to his own turf fireside, not having left Mona (Anglesey) 

chain bridge carries the once great London and Holyhead 
>ver the Menai Straits, and the total cost was £120,000. From 
o pier the part suspended measures 579 feet, and the height 
i roadway above the water is 100 feet. Each chain is said 
tasure nearly a third of a mile, and to weigh 121 tons, and 
hole weight of ironwork amounts to 2,186 tons. In a pam- 
published in 1820 by Dr. Pring, a resident in the district, he 
us that, after the first chain was carried across, " three of 
rorkmen, viz., Hush Davies, stonemason, William Williams, 
rer, and John Williams, carpenter, had the temerity to pass 
the upper surface of the chain, which forms a curvature of 
set." But even this feat was surpassed by one of the same 
for "on the 6th of May, William Williams, after finishing 
lay's work sat himself -down quietly on the centre of the 
;d part of the upper suspension chain, with his feet resting 
ie one below it, and in that position actually went through' 
egular operation of making a pair of small shoes in the short 
; of two hours, which he afterwards sold for a sovereign, 
ras led to suppose that the shoes were purchased for public 
) It ion at the British Museum!" The bridge was opened on 
Oth of January, 1826. 

bssing over the bridge (pedestrians and cyclists Id. for 
ing and repassing throughout the day), we go down the- 
r> road on the Anglesey side to see the structure from 
;ath, and we may find a guide who will show us the* 



274 BANGOR. Tubular Bridge. 

chains, we may almost say embedded in the rock. A boat 
could be taken for the next stage ; but it is only a mile and 
a half along the Holyhead road to the Tubular Bridge. 
The curious little church which we see down in the Straits 
'is Llandysilio. On the other side of the Tubular Bridge is 
Llanfair church, and near it is a statue of Lord Nelson. 

Stephenson's Britannia Tubular Bridge can only be inspected 
by an order from the Engineer's Department, L. and N.W. Rail- 
way, Bangor. It was began in 1846, and completed in 1850. The 
Britannia Tower on the rock in the centre of the Straits is 230 feet 
high, and there are two other towers, the Carnarvonshire one, 
190 feet, and the Anglesey, 204 feet, thus dividing the space into 
four spans, of which the two centre ones are 460 feet each. The 
total length of the bridge is 1,841 feet, of the tubes, 1,513 feet. 
The extreme height of the tube at the Britannia Tower is 30 feet, 
diminishing to 22 feet 9 inches at the abutments. To provide for 
the expansion and contraction of the metal, the bed-plates in the 
shore towers and in the abutments, on which the tubes rest, are 
made to move on cast-iron rollers and balls. This precaution 
for securing free movement of the tubes was not unnecessary, as 
it has been found that between the expansion of summer and the 
contraction of winter there is a difference of fully 12 inches. In 
the fabrication of the tubes 186,000 different pieces of iron, fas- 
tened together by more than 2,000,000 rivets, were used; and in 
the towers, abutments, etc., there are 1,492,151 cubic feet of 
masonry. The total cost was about £602,000. [The nearest station 
to the Carnarvonshire end is Tre-borth, Ave minutes' walk]. 

Regaining the Holyhead road, and still going on, we soon 
reach the Anglesey Column (admission 3d.), which is worth 
visiting for the view from its base, or better, its summit. 
We have the Marquis of Anglesey's effigy in hussar uniform 
at the top, but the gallant officer did not bring the whole of 
his body back from Belgium, and Canning is said to have 
written the following epitaph on the leg buried at Waterloo — 

Here rests— and let no saucy knave 

Presume to sneer or laugh. 
To learn that mould'ring in this grave 

There lies a— British calf. 

For he who writes these lines is sure 

That those who read the whole 
Will find that laugh was premature ; 

For here, too, lies the sole. 

And here five little ones repose, 

Twin born with other five, 
Unheeded by their brother toes, 

Who all are now alive. 

A leg and foot, to speak more plain, 

Lie here of one commanding; 
Who though his wits he might retain, 

Lost half his understanding; 

And when the guns, with thunder fraught. 

Poured bullets thick as hail, 
Could only in this way be taught 

To give the foe leg-bail; 



ecAs. BANGOR. 275 

And now in England, Just as gay 

As In the battle brave, 
Goes to tlie rout, the ball, the play, 

With one leg in the grave. 

Fortune in Tain has showed her spite, 

For he will soon be found, 
Should England's sons engage in fight, 

Resolved to stand his ground. 

But Fortune's pardon I must beg; 

She meant not to disarm; 
And when she lopped the hero's leg 

She did not seek his harm; 

And but Indulged a harmless whim: 

Since he could walk with one, 
She saw two legs were lost on him, 

Who never meant to run. 

?las Newydd Cromlechs are so well known that we 
ention them here, although the Park in which they 
now been closed to the public. Beyond the column 
t lane to the left leads to the Park, the entrance to 
9 reached in about a quarter of a mile from the Holy- 
ad, and it is about 1\ mile more to the ecclesiastical 
stables of Anglesey Castle (the name given recently 
t had long been known as Plas Newydd), the fine 
a. of the Marquis of Anglesey. The PI&S 
fdd Cromlechs stand on the grass a little to 
it of the stables (as they are reached from the 
ad road). The top stone of the larger one is 12 feet 

feet broad, and 4£ feet thick in one part, and the 
has been estimated at eight tons. By keeping on 
e house, the end of the park proper is soon reached, 
rate admits to what we may call a park field, on the 
ide of which — following the continuation of the park 
>nly about a quarter of a mile from the cromlechs, 
5 another gate, from which, to the left of the road, 

1 mound can be seen with a tree on it. At the back 
. little knoll a remarkable Kistvaen is revealed, 

the most notable in the Principality. [The agent 

estate is Mr. W. Jones of Graig, Llanfair P.G.I 

extend our walk along the Straits, through the parishes 
edwen and Llanidan,' we shall come across antiquities at 
2very turn, as the ordnance map will show ; and the Moel- 
;rry, near Llanedwen Church, can be crossed to Port Din- 
jtation. They say that it was near Porthamel, beyond 
don, that the Roman general Suetonius effected the land- 
lis *roops, when he destroyed the Druids and Druidism of 
i y; and that Agricola afterwards chose the same passage. 

Llanfair station (If m. from the cromlechs) we return 

ligh road, and turn to the left. Llanfair is the village 

we are told in the English newspapers, is called — 

mfairpwllgwyngyllgogerchwyrndrobwlltysillogogogoch 



276 BEAUMARIS. Distances. 

— all in one word, mind, without any break or pause. The 
natives call the place " Llanf air," but as there are other Llan- 
fairs in Wales some qualifying words have to be added in 
postal addresses, that of " Lianf air " being "Pwll Gwyngyll," 
more commonly " P.G." As we return to Bangor by rail 
from Llanf air we enjoy a beautiful picture of the Straits 
and the Rivals on the right, or if we look in the other direc- 
tion we may see the Great Orme's Head and Penmaen-mawr ; 
and at the other end of the Tube there is a momentary 
glimpse of Snowdon on the right. 

Bangor to Carnarvon. 

The railway to Carnarvon branches off from the Holyhead 
line near the Menai Bridge, and runs along the beautiful 
Menai Straits for much of its course. At Tre-borth Snowdon 
is seen on the left, with Elidyr and the Carnedd range on the 
left of it. Beyond Tre-borth, Vaynol Park, where the famous 
sportsman, Mr. T. Assheton-Smith, lived, shuts out the view 
of the Straits. The next station, Port Dinorwic, is so called 
because it is the port to which a little line brings the Din- 
orwig (Llanberis) slates for embarkation, and just beyond 
the station there is an entrenched hillock on the border of 
the Straits, and Moel-y-don ferry-house is seen on the other 
side. The line keeps near the water, Griffith!* Crossing is 
passed, and soon Carnarvon Castle comes in view. (See p. 286). 

Bangor to Beaumaris. 

The most direct way of reaching Beaumaris from Bangor, 
at Easter and in the summer (beginning about May 1), is by 
steam ferry (6d.) from Garth Pier (p. 269) ; and a ferry boat 
(l£d.) also runs daily from there to a point about 2 m. from 
Beaumaris. From Menai Bridge station the distance is under 
five miles ; but many will drive all the way froin Bangor, and 
an omnibus (Is. 6d.) meets some of the trains, including the 
afternoon expresses. It is a beautiful road by the side of the 
Straits, and shaded by trees for much of the way. Once 
across the Menai Bridge, there is a glorious view of the 
Carnarvonshire heights, and in this respect Beaumaris has 
the advantage of the opposite shore. 

Beaumaris* 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Water.— To Bangor (steam ferry), Llandudno, Liver- 
pool, Carnarvon, Puffin Island (4J m.), etc. 

By Hoad— Menai Bridge (nearest station), 4? m., Bangor, 
6fc, Menai Bridge village, 4J, Castell Lleiniog, 2J, Penmofi 
Priory (by Tre'r Castell), 4, Lighthouse, 4|, Bwrdd Arthur 
and Llanfihangel Tinsylwy Church, 4, Llanddona Church, 
4, Pentraeth, 6, Red Wharf Bay (west end), 7, Llaniestyn, 3. 



le. BEAUMARIS. 277 

i 

iTJMARIS (pronounced Bewmarris) is a little town of 
,310 inhabitants, and is prettily situated near the mouth 
Straits. The walks about Beaumaris command a view 

whole range of Carnarvonshire mountains, from Pen- 
ma wr to the Rivals, with one notable exception. To 

sight of Snowdon we should climb the China Rock ' 

r -parc), a walk of a mile and a half, and there the view 
eed magnificent on a clear day. The China Rock is ; 

bove us as we come from Menai Bridge, and is ap- j 

led by a road which turns off near the entrance to | 

naris. There are facilities for bathing ; and for boat- \ 

:cursions up and down the Straits and about the coast 
glesey Beaumaris is an excellent centre. 
Beaumaris, between the town and the shore, instead 
ugly railway, we have a " village green," and near it 
e picturesque ruins of the Castle (admission, 2d.). 

fine Edwardian ruin, built (by Edward I.) on the Beau 
3 (Fair Marsh), is interesting for its ten strong, round 
i and Gunners' Walk. In 1440 William Bulkeley, the first of 
mily at Baron Hill, was appointed Constable of the Castle. 

held by one of Ms descendants for King Charles I. against 
irliament, but in 1648 surrend<ered to General Mytton. In 1832 
was an Eisteddfod at the Castle, when Queen Victoria (then 
>ss Victoria) and the Duchess of Kent were present. Enter- 
e central court, the ruins of the banqueting hall are oppo- 
o us, and on the right, rather difficult of access, is the 
is chapel, with a groined roof. The Castle walls can be 
ded; and, outside, the visitor will be interested to see the 
for mooring vessels in the walls of the Gunners' Walk, which 
t one time reached by a marine canal. 

e Church is also worth visiting by the antiquary, who 
ind a number of ancient monuments and discover some 
us architectural features. It is reached by passing 
*ht up from the pier, and if we continue up this road, 
the Castle lodge, and take the next turning to the right, 
ilf a mile from the turning we shall reach one of the 
^s of Baron Hill Park (Sir R. Bulkeley's), which is open 
hursdays and Sundays from 1 o'clock until dusk, or 8 

in the summer. In the park, and close to one of the 
;s, is the remarkable tomb of the Princess Joan, Llew- 
s wife (see p. 264), to which the lodge-keeper will 
>t the visitor. The princess was buried at Llanfaes, 

here, and over her remains her husband, to whom she 
s to have been reconciled, erected a monastery. In the 
wring of the nineteenth century a stone slab, with an 
y of the princess, was found in a ditch near Llanfaes, 
the coffin which it had covered was used as a watering- 
gh. On the hill above Baron Hill Park is the Bulkeley 
ument (1£ mile), from which there is an extensive view. 



278 BEAUMARIS. Penman Priory. 

It is reached by continuing up the road past Beaumaris 
church for half a mile, and then turning to the right. 

To Penmon Priory and Puffin Island. 

The site of Llanfaes Friary will be passed in the course 
of' a lovely walk or drive to Penmon Priory and Lighthouse. 
All traces of the Friary have been removed, but The Fryars 
(f m. from the town) shows where it stood. Close to the 
Fryars a path leaves the road and in about half a mile reaches 
Tre 'r Castell, a house near the shore, occupying the site of 
an ancient seat of the Tudors, some remains of which still 
exist. The cellars of Tre V Qastell were famous for their 
mead, and the greatest of the Tudors, Elizabeth, is said to 
have been supplied with some of the store. 

About half a mile beyond Tre 'r Castell the road is reached 

again, near the ruins of Castell Lleiniog, which in the time 

of Charles I. was held for the Parliament by Sir Thomas 

Cheadle, but taken by Colonel Robinson. Beyond a house 

marked " Lleiniog " on the ordnance map another corner can 

be cut off by keeping nearer the sea ; and the road, when it 

is joined again, runs between the coast and the high wall of 

Sir R. Bulkeley's deer park, passes the Penmon "marble" 

quarries, and soon reaches the Priory of Penmon (4 m. by 

walking way). 

Penmon Priory Church has interesting Norman features, and has 
been carefully restored. Notice the figure of a dragon over the 
south doorway, which Is ascribed to the 13th century. Some of the 
conventual buildings are incorporated into the farm-house close 
by. The refectory is also thought to be of the 13th century, and 
the lintel of the easternmost window on the southern side is formed 
out of a very elegantly worked shaft of an Early British cross. The 
refectory is immediately below the church, on the road we have 
come by, and a square pigeon house is in front of us when we reach 
it. From the* pigeon house turn left by a footpath, pass through a 
door in a wall, and a sacred well will be found. There ie also an 
ancient cross. Go from the refectory past the church (to the left 
of it), over a stile, and straight on by a green road, and five min- 
utes' walk from the church the Cross will be seen. 

From the Priory it is only a quarter of an hour's walk to 
Penmon Lighthouse, opposite Puffin lsland 9 the strait 
between being about half a mile wide. A boat may be taken 
all the way from Beaumaris to the island, on which there is 
a tower, corresponding in some architectural details with the 
building at Penmon, and ascribed by the pundits to such 
widely different dates as the 7th and 12th centuries. 

Puffins still inhabit the island, which is also called by the 
Norse name of Priestholme (the Priests' Island) and in Welsh 
Ynys Seiriol or the Island of St. Seiriol, who settled at Penmon 
in the 6th century, and also had two hermitages, one on this 
island, the other on the cliff of Penmaen-mawr, with (says the 
story) a causeway connecting the two, which was submerged by 



Wharf Bay. BEAUMARIS. 279 

icly8m mentioned on p. 250, and can still be seen under 
a calm weather. 

ive mentioned (page 248) the wreck of the Rothesay Castle 
Dutchman' 8 Bank, to the south of Puffin Island. Miss 
•au, In her " History of the Thirty Tears' Peace," tells a 
g story of the wreck. " Two men, strangers to each other, 
hem selves holding on to the same plank, which, It soon ap- 
would support only one. Each desired the other to hold 
one because his companion was old, the other because his 
ion was young, and they quitted their grasp at the same 
b. By extraordinary accidents both were saved, each with- 
knowledge of the other, and they met on the shore in great 
e. Few greetings in the course of human life can be so 
nd moving as must have been that of these two heroes." 

Red Wharf Bay and Bwrdd Arthur. 

inland scenery of Anglesey Is not attractive, but on the 
lere and there, are quiet little villages to which a number 
?ns resort in search of the perfect repose which they afford. 
,arf Bay, or rather the western end of it, is seven miles by 
rest way from Beaumaris. Conveyances run daily in the sum- 
in Bangor and Menai Bridge (p. 267). There are a few lodging 
at the west end of the Bay, and further west at Llanallgo and 
•laces: and not far from Llanallgo is Bodafon Hill, with two 
ikes, for a pleasant ramble. Red wharf Bay (in Welsh called 
th C6ch, toe Red Sand) is about three miles across, from 
Ion to Llanddona (4 miles from Beaumaris), where the coast 
nent Is steep and picturesque, and there some visitors may 
• do not care to make the whole journey to the more attrac- 
rt of the bay. From Llanddona it is about a mile to Bwrdd 

Arthur's Table (the old name of which is Tin Sylwy, Tin 
lg for Din, " a fort," as in Tintagd), the largest camp on the 

with an extensive panorama, and a remarkable enceinte 
slabs set on end— notice too the admirably preserved en- 
; and the hill could be crossed to the little church of IAan- 

Tin Sylwy, which has a movable oak pulpit. Llanflhangei is 
lour miles from Beaumaris by the nearest way, but we may 
i a little to see Ltaniettyn Church, remarkable for the monu- 

effigy of St. lestyn, and Henllys (1 m. from Beaumaris), 

among other antiquities, Owen Tudor's bedstead is shown, 
s to Penmon Priory may walk from there to Bwrdd Arthur, 
ick by Llanddona and Llanlestyn. 

; pedestrians may like to walk through Pentraeth (near Red 
Bay) to Amlwch. The distance from Pentraeth to Amlwch is 
es by the road, but the pedestrian who explores the coast 
if course, have a longer walk. He will pass Moelfre Bay, 

the Royal Charter was wrecked, and Point Lynas Light- 

and can visit the fine church at Llanellian (2 m. from 
:h and f m. from Point Lynas). By the direct road Llanfair- 
farn-eithaf, where Goronwy Owen was born, will be passed. 
ugwy farm, ten minutes from Llanallgo rectory, near the 
there is a large cromlech. Amlwch we shall reach by rail. 



Sanger to f>oli?bea&* 

AVING Bangor by rail for Holyhead, we first pass 

through a tunnel and then have a charming view of the 

ts, with the Menai Bridget before the station of that 

is reached ; and afterwards may perhaps catch glimpses 



280 TO HOLYHEAD. A Panorama. 

of Snowdon on the left, just before the Britannia Bridge is 
entered. Beyond the Bridge a statue of Lord Nelson is 
seen on the left, with the Rivals in the distance, and on the 
right the Great Orme's Head and Penmaen-mawr, and soon 
after passing Lord Anglesey's Monument we reach Llanfair. 

Plas Penmynydd, the reputed birthplace of Henry VII. 's grand- 
father, is nearly four miles from Llanfair station. The Queen 
contributed £50 some years ago to the restoration of the Tudor 
chapel (connected with Penmynydd Church, nearly 2 m. from the 
Plas and 3 from the station), which contains a beautiful monu- 
ment in memory, it is believed, of one of the Tudors. 

On the railway journey from Llanfair to Holyhead on a 
clear day there is an unsurpassed view of the Carnarvon- 
shire mountains from the carriage window. Snowdon soon 
comes in view, distinguished by its sharply-defined peak, 
and presently a long range is seen, beginning with Penmaen- 
mawr on the left. Carnedd Dafydd and Carnldd Llewelyn 
are on one side of Nant Ffrancon, and the big mass of 
Elidyr Fawr is on the other, and as we move along we see 
the opening of the Pass of Llanberis, with the quarries on 
the right-hand slopes of Elidyr. Further to the right is 
Snowdon, and then the rounded Moel Eilio. and next to 
that Mynydd Mawr. Still further to the right is the Garnedd 
G6ch range, and then the group of Bwlch Mawr and Gyrn Ddu. 
The Rivals are a beautiful object, on the sea coast and beyond 
them Cam Hadryn is visible on the promontory of Lleyn. 
Bodorgan station is not far from several interesting spots. 

The remains of a very large cromlech exist near Henblas, some 
distance to the north of the line. On the other (south) side of the 
line we have Llyn Coron, a fishing lake; Llangadwaladr Church 
(} mile), with its fine window and notable inscribed stone of the 
early 7th century to the memory of King Catamanus or Cadfan, 
father of Cad wall on (mentioned on page 13, Part I.), calling 
him the wisest and most renowned of all kings; and the beauti- 
ful gardens of Bodorgan, a little more than a mile further. Aber- 
ffraw (2J m. from the station) was once the chief residence of the 
sovereign Princes of North Wales, from which they took part of 
their title of "Princeps de Aberffraw, Dominus de Snaudun." 
About 1J mile from Aberffraw is Llangwyfan Church, on a small 
island in the sea, conne tfed with the land by a causeway, some- 
times covered by the tide ; but a new church has been erected in 
a more accessible position. Bodorgan is 4J m. from Newborough, 
where rare plants are found on the sands, and Llanddwyn Island, 
with its scanty remains of an ancient church, is about 2 m. from 
Newborough, which is 3J m. from the Tal-y-foel ferry (for Car- 
narvon). 

The railway runs on to Ty-croe8j where Llyn Bodric is near 
us to the right, and then past Llyn Faelog on the left, to 
Valley station, irom which it is three miles to Bhoscolyn. 

Leaving the station on the side by which you arrive from Ban- 

Sor. take the right fork of the road, and when the arm of the sea 
ividing Holy Island from the mainland is crossed, take the road 
to the left, which leads to Rho$eolyn Church. There Is a character- 



DUtoneu. HOLYHEAD. 281 

Istlo view of Anglesey from the hill above the church— a flat ex- 
panse dotted with white houses. A road passes between the 
church and a large house to the open fell, and there a turning to 
the left will lead to the coast, where the rooks rise in line con- 
fusion from the sea. Care should be taken in moving about on this 
bit of coast. Returning up the fell, passing the end of the lane, 
and then gradually reaching the coast again, we could find our 
way to the Arch of Caligula ; but the shortest way from the church 
is by the road which runs along the graveyard ana past the post 
office to a large farm. Before the house is reached a path goes to 
the right, and then to the left, to the shore ; we cross a wall, and 
then a footpath leads above the cliffs, and in a few minutes a rocky 
promontory juts into the sea. Through this promontory the sea 
passes, ana we walk over a natural bridge, called (why, no one 
knows) the Arch of Caligula. On the promontory is a grindstone; 
how it got there is the question I The rocks about here are finely 
coloured, and are worth exploring. A few lodgings may be found 
at Rhoscolyn. Another little place of resort, Tre Arddur Bay 
(which has its Golf Links), lies between two and three miles 
to the north of Rhoscolyn, and is reached by taking the road to 
the right when the bridge above mentioned is crossed in coming 
from the station, from which it is about three miles distant; and 
two from Holyhead. 

Beyond Valley station the line crosses to Holy Island, and 
Holyhead is soon reached. 

Ibolpbeafc ♦ 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— South Stack, by driving road, 3& m., by North 
f tack and over Holyhead Mountain (there and back), about 
four hours, Porth Bafarch, 2 m., Tre Arddur Golf Links, 
2 m. 

By Rail.— Bangor, 25 m., Llandudno, 44, Rhyl,55, Chester, 85. 

HOLYHEAD, in Welsh called Caer Gybi (population, 
10,072), has for its chief attractions the ancient Church 
of St. Cybi, which has been restored, and the old wall, by some 
supposed to be Roman, which surrounds the churchyard ; 
the harbour and breakwater ; and especially the splendid 
rock scenery about the Stacks. The breakwater is about a 
mile and a half long, and forms a favourite promenade, to 
the lighthouse at the end. At the pier, about a mile from the 
station, there is an arch to celebrate a visit by George IV. 
in 1821 ; and an obelisk on a neighbouring eminence perpetu- 
ates the memory of, we may hope, a worthier man, Captain 
Skinner, long the captain of one of the mail packets, who 
was washed overboard near the North Stack in 1833. On the 
Skerries (some 7 m. north) there is a lighthouse, and the 
Government bought the dues from the owner, a Mr Jones, 
for £444,084. For Golf Links see Tre Arddur above. 

To the Stacks and Holyhead Mountain. 

The South Stack can be reached by boat past the North 
Stack, where the rocks and caverns make up a most imprea* 



2&2 &OLYHBAD. South Stack. 

sive scene. One of the caves which has an arch 70 feet in 
height, is called the Parliament House, because of the noise 
the birds make in entering it ! If you wish to visit these 
caverns you must go by sea in calm weather ; but the South 
Stack is accessible by land, and you can drive to within a 
short distance of the lighthouse ($£ miles). Leaving the 
station-drive we turn to the right, go up Market Street, 
Mount Pleasant, and Thomas Street, and presently reach, 
on our left, the British School, round the corner of which 
we must turn to the left, and follow the road. We soon pass 
through a hamlet, and at the end keep to the right of a chapel. 
[From here Holyhead Mountain (in Welsh called Pen Caer 
Gybi, and its top Mynydd-y-twr, the Mountain of the Heap) 
could be ascended, and the walk, much preferable to the 
road, continued over the hill to the South Stack]. Keeping 
along the road, in a couple of miles or more from the British 
School we reach a reservoir, near the coast. Here we fol- 
low the road sharp to the right, by the telegraph posts, 
which run from the town to the lighthouse. From the road 
a long flight of steps leads to a door, where the visitor rings 
a bell, and is admitted to the South Stack. 

We cannot Improve upon Cliffe's vivid description of the South 
Stack:— "At first you feel disappointed, and it is not until you 
descend that you become impressed with the grandeur of the 
scenery. At the foot of the formidable stairs, 380 in number, you 
arrive at the entrance to a light suspension bridge. For some 
years after the lighthouse was erected (1809) the only means of 
access across the chasm was by a rope and basket; then a bridge 
of ropes was made, but the risk was so great that a chain bridge 
became necessary. After crossing the bridge you can descend to 
look at a vast fissure in the islet; and wonder, if the day be 
stormy, how the boats fared that conveyed the materials for the 
lighthouse to that rugged and perilous spot, where the surge of 
the sea is awe-inspiring. The sea in S.W. gales often dashes over 
the dwellings of the lightkeepers, when the scene Is truly sublime. 
This coast Is the resort, in the breeding season, of innumerable 
sea birds — especially gulls, razor-bills, cormorants, and guille- 
mots ; and peregrine falcons breed in the loftiest crags. No one, by 
order of Government, is allowed to shoot the sea birds, as in foggy 
weather they are invaluable to steamers and shipping, being in- 
stantly attracted round a vessel, or induced to fly up screaming, 
by the firing of a gun. Poor Captain Skinner's mail packet was 
once saved in this way. The birds deposit their eggs in vast num- 
bers on the south side of the South Stack Bock, and are then ex- 
ceedingly tame. The late Bishop of Norwich, in his work on Birds, 
states that the gulls all instinctively assemble here on the same 
night, on or about February 10, when they make a great noise: 
and nearly all retire on the same day, about August 12." 

To this we may add that July is a good time to visit the 
Stacks, when the young birds, in some places, literally cover 
the rocks, and the noise is most remarkable. Visitors are 
shown over the lighthouse, from which, in clear weather, 
Ireland and the Isle of Man are seen. The lighthouse contains 



Two Saints. TO AMLWCH. 288 

an air-siren blown by oil-engines in foggy weather, and there 
is also a " fog lantern " on the rock. We may turn to the 
left soon after coming up the steps and return over Holyhead 
Mountain (719 feet), gaining a wonderful view — Ireland on 
one side, if the day is clear, and Snowdonia on the other. 
There are traces of an ancient fortification on the hill. 

Another route to the South Stack, by which the breakwater and 
the North Stack can be approached, may be recommended. Hav- 
ing left the station, turn to the right and visit the Church; then 
keep on through the town in the direction of the sea and the 
breakwater. From the entrance to the Breakwater follow a tram- 
way towards some quarries, near them go across to a path which 
runs up the hill, and at the top take the path nearest the sea, and 
presently descend to the North Stack, and a white house, where in 
foggy weather guns are constantly fired to warn ships off this dan- 
gerous coast. 7 * Parliament House," mentioned beiore, is to the 
left of the little building. If, Instead of descending to the North 
Stack, you had kept uphill you would have reached the Old Tele- 
graph Station, near the summit of the hill. Walking on from the 
Old Telegraph to the right of the summit, after descending 10 a 
level part of the hill you can keep near the cliffs for a while for 
a better view, but soon a turn to the left should be taken, and you 
pass to the left of a sheet of water and join the mountain road. 
Then take a turn to the right, which will lead into the road near 
the descent to the lighthouse. 

The coast on both sides of the South Stack is worth seeing— with 
great precipices, caverns, and arches. A walk of about four miles 
southwards leads past Porth-y-gwyddel and Penrhyn Mawr to Porth 
Dafarch (less than 2 miles by direct road from Holyhead), where 
the late Hon. W. O. Stanley's excavations brought to light dwell- 
ings of great antiquity, cinerary urns, Samlan ware, and an in- 
taglio. Mr. Stanley also discovered more than fifty ancient habi- 
tations (cyttiau) north of the road, near a gate, between the South 
Stack and the point where the road bends left for Holyhead. 



©aetwen Junction to Hmlwcb anb 

3BuU £a$* 

FROM Gaerwen Junction a railway runs across Anglesey 
to Amlwch. About one mile and a half from Gaerwen, 
Plas Berw, an ancient house with a tower, is seen on the 
left ; we pass Llangefni, and then, as we run on to LlanercK* 
y-medd the view of Snowdonia is particularly fine. 

At Clorach, about 1J mile to the east of Llanerch-y-medd sta- 
tion, were the two wells mentioned in Matthew Arnold's sonnet:— 

In the bare midst of Anglesey they show 
Two springs which close by one another play, 
And ' Thirteen hundred years agone,* they say, 
* Two saints met often where these waters flow. 

•• Seiriol the Bright" was one of them, whose name we have 
mentioned in connection with Puflttn Island ; the other " Cybl the 
Dark," who has given his name to Holyhead (Caer Gybl). The 
story Is that every day they journeyed from Penmon and Holyhead 



284 AMLWCH. Bull Bay. 

to meet at these wells, and that Cybl, having his face always ex- 
posed to the sun, became dark, while Selriol, walking with the 
sun at his back, preserved his fair complexion. Arnold, In this 
respect, has reversed the story. One of the wells was filled up 
with masonry about sixty years ago, when a new bridge was erec- 
ted; the other is still in use. To these springs, which retained 
the names of Selriol and Cybi, people resorted not very long ago 
for the cure of their diseases. Their actual names In Welsh are 
Seirlol Wyn (the White or the Fair) and Cybi Felyn (the Yellow) 

Beyond LlanerCh-y-medd, on the right, is Llwydiarth Park, 
in which is one of the many Arthur's Quoits ; further on, a 
few miles to the left, is Llanbabo Church, which contains a 
mediaeval sculptured slab with the figure of St. Pabo, whose 
father Dunod " the King " died in 595. We notice the erect 
stones here and there as we travel along the line, and finally 
see Parys Mountain to the right before we reach Amlwch. 

Parys Mountain is named after Robert Parys, Chamberlain ol 
North Wales in the reign of Henry IV. A wonderful mountain it 
has been for minerals, and It will always be associated in the dis- 
trict with a host of " claimants " of the name of Fraser, whose his- 
tory is told In Hone's Table Boot. The "rightful heir" to Lord 
Lovat, who was beheaded in 1747, turns up periodically even now, 
tracing his descent from his lordship's " only brother," Simon 
Fraser, who had to flee his native country because, being insulted 
by a family foe at a wedding party, he. In a moment of rage, slew 
his adversary. He took refuge, so the story goes, in the Parys 
mines, and afterwards married and had one son, the ancestor of all 
the claimants, and this son was called Lord Lovat by the miners. 

Bull Bay, which is a mile and a half from Amlwch, is a 
small watering-place, and has an hotel. The sea runs up 
in curious little coves between the rocks, which are here of 
no great height. A road runs on to Borthwen, where there 
is an arch, roughly Gothic in shape, in an isolated rock, at 
the south-west corner, but works are in progress which may 
destroy the arch. From here the pedestrian can make his 
way past Hell's Mouth (not so terrible a place as it sounds) 
and Llanbadrig Church, which stands near the margin of 
the cliffs, to Cemaes Bay (4 m. by road from Aml»wch), where 
there are a few lodging houses. The antiquary might ex- 
tend his journey to Llanfechell (under 2 m.) for the sake of 
the church and the ancient remains thereabouts. 



SNOWDONIA. 

SNOWDONIA may be approached by the London and 
North Western Railway, via Bettws-y-coed, via Bangor 
and Bethesda, or via Carnarvon and Llanberis ; by the North 
Wales Narrow Gauge Railway which runs to Cwellyn and 
Snowdon station (Rhyd-ddu) ; by the Great Western, via 
Bala and Festiniog : «r by the Cambrian, via Portmadoc. 



1'mch and Wales. BNOWDONIA. 



286 



Before we start on our travels in Snowdonia let us quote 
that prince of pure jesters, Mr. Punch, in his estimate of 
Wales and Welshmen, written after a trip by Mr. Shirley 
Brooks, then editor, through the districts which we are 
about to describe. 

THE EDITOR OF PUNCH'S EXPERIENCE OF WALES. 



Taffy is a Welshman ; 
Taffy's not a thief; 
Taffy's mutton's very good, 

Not so good bis beef: 
I went to Taffy's house, 
Several things I saw, 
Cleanliness and godliness, 

Obedience to the law. 
If Taffy rides to my house, 
Or unto Pat's doth swim, 
I think my Taffy will remark 
That we might learn of him. 
He does not drink, my Taffy, 

(Not leastwise as a rule); 
He goes to chapel regular, 

And sends his boys to school; 
He dresses well on Sunday, 

His family the like; 
He's not too fond of over-work, 

But seldom cares to strike; 
He never lurks behind a hedge 

To pay his rent with slugs. 
Up craggy hills of steep Incline 

His garden mould he lugs; 
And there he grows his garden. 

His cabbages and leeks; 
His kids get green-meat in 
their mouths. 
And rose" in their cheeks. 
Taffy is a Welshman, 

And glories in the name, 
To laugh at which enjoyment 

Appears to me a shame. 
You compliment the Scotch- 
man 
Who talks of Bruce and Burns; 
You tolerate the Irishman 

Who vaunts ancestral Kerns; 
You're nuts on your own pedi- 
gree, 
Won't call it English, fair, 
But prate of " Anglo-Saxons." 
Till reviewers nearly swear. 
Why shouldn't gallant Taffy 

Have his relics and his bones, 
Llewelyn 8 and Cadwallos, 

And Grlffyevan jones ? 
To «ay nothing of the question 
Whether Taffy's mother- 
tongue 
Vasn't quite a fine old language 



When all of ours were young. 
He say 8 he has good poets, 

Leave him his own opinion: 
You like obscure old ballads, 

And Taffy likes Englynion 
Pray, are not u moel," " afon," 
And " Morwyns " (pretty 
rogues), 
At least as good as " blrks " 
and " braes," 
"Mavourneen s," Arrah 
Pogues ?" 
By all Nantfrancon's Beavers 

Of the pre-historio age; 
By Aberglaslyn's hoary bridge, 
And the Swallow's roaring 
rage; 
By the trout of Capel Curig, 

By Carnarvon's Eagled Tower, 
The smile of placid Tan-y- 
bwlch, 
And the frown of Penmaen- 
mawr ; 
By yon lonely Puffin Island, 
And the monster head of 
Orme. 
The Castle of the Beauteous 
Marsh. 
Llanberls. Pass of Storm; 
By the magic Bridge of Bangor, 

Hung awful in the sky, 
By the grave at sweet Bedd- 
gelert, 
Where the Martyr-hound doth 
He; 
By the lightnings that on Snow 
don 
Glint, the*) ewe Is of his crown, 
Stand up, brave Taffy, for thy 
right, 
And never be put down. 
If all Victoria's subjects 

Were half as good as thou, 
Victoria's subjects would kick 
up 
Uncommon little row ; 
And Punch, Incarnate Justice, 

Intends henceforth to lick 
All who shall scorn or sneer at 

YoiTjolly little Brick 1 



286 CARNARVON. Distances. 

Carnarvon* 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

By Road.— Llanberls, 7J m., Pen-y-pass, 123, Pen-y-gwryd, 
13|, Capel Curig, 172, Bettws-y-coed, 23*. Nant Mill, 6i, Snow- 
don Ranger, 7&, Beddgelert, 13, Dlnas Dinlle, about 6, Clyn- 
nog, about 93, Llanaelhaiarn (for the Rivals), 133, Pwllheli, 
20. Snowdonian coaches run fro?n Carnarvon. 

By Rail.— Pont Rhythallt, 6 m. (for ancient camp and 
Jubilee Hill), Cwm-y-glo, 7, Llanberls, 9 (for Snowdon, about 
5, up the Pass to Pen-y-pass, 5J, Pen-y-gwryd, 6J, Capel 
Curig, 10J, Bettws-y-coed, 153, Beddgelert, 133, Rhyd-ddu, 
17J), Bettws Garmon, 8 (for Nant Mill), Cwellyn (on Llyn 
Cwellyn), 11 (ascent of Snowdon), Snowdon station (Rhyd- 
ddu), 13 (ascent of Snowdon ; 33 m. from Beddgelert, and 5J 
from Aberglaslyn), Dinas Junction, 4 (conveyances for Clyn- 
nog and Dinas Dinlle), Llanwnda, 4 (conveyances for Dinas 
Dinlle), Groeslon, 5 (for Dinas Dinlle, about 3), Pen-y-groes, 
7 (for Clynnog, about 5), Nantlle, 9 (6 from Snowdon station), 
Llangybi, 17 (for the Rivals, 7—8), Pwllheli, 23, Menai Bridge, 
8, Bangor, 9. [For longer distances on the London and 
North Western Railway see Bangor]. 

CARNARVON, an ancient town with 9,760 inhabitants, 
has for its chief attraction its famous Castle, which is 
six or seven minutes' walk from the station. Reaching the 
Bangor road, turn to the right, and keep straight on to the 
Square, where the Castle is seen on the right. 

The old Welsh name of Carnarvon was Caer Seint yn Arfon, 
" Segontium City in Arvon," of which the modern name is an 
abbreviation. Arvon is the district ar F6n, i.e., opposite Anglesey, 
stretching from the. Rivals to Bangor. The proper name of the 
river is Saint, but this has in modern times been touched up into 
Seiont to make it resemble the old name Segontium. The bridge 
by which the Pen-y-groes road crosses the river is still called 
Pont Saint by the unsophisticated native. Carnarvon is celebrated 
in Welsh legend as the place where Elen of the Hosts, the great 
Welsh road-maker, was sought and won by the Emperor Maximus. 

The Castle (admission 4d.) is pronounced by the most com- 
petent authorities to be, with the exception of Alnwick, 
" the finest castle in Great Britain." It covers between two 
and three acres of ground, and presents from all points fea- 
tures of singular toajesty and beauty, especially the Eagle 
tower, which has three tall and graceful turrets. The build- 
ing has been repaired in recent years by the Government 
and the Deputy Constable. 

Thi« magnificent fortress was built, or rather begun by Edward. 
I. Nineteen out of every twenty tourists who visit the spot 
seem to be quite impressed with the idea that the first Prince 
of Wales— who became Edward II.— was born in a miserable 
little room in the Eagle Tower, but the old story has 
been exploded. Though none doubt that the biTth took 
place in Carnarvon town, as to the tower, so far from being born 
in it. the Prince built it! It has also been said that the Eagle 
Tower was named from a now shapeless figure of an eagle, brought. 
It is alleged, from the ruins of Segontium; but an eagle was one 



Segontium. CARNARVON. 287 

of Edward's crests : and three eagles, we should remark, were the 
arms of Prince Owen Gwynedd, and are used now for the town of 
Carnarvon. The Castle has much the same history as many other 
Welsh fortresses. It was besieged by Olendower in the 15th cen- 
tury, and the Parliamentary army in the 17th; but it happily es- 
caped destruction, and remained to show us what a noble struc- 
ture our ancestors could raise. Over the gateway is a statue, of 
Edward I. say some writers, but probably of Edward II. ; and, in 
entering, the visitor will notice the marks of the portcullises. 
Turning to the right, inside the Castle, we face the Eagle Tower 
(distinguished by its flag-staff) and the state apartments, on the 
west, but there is not muoh to see in the Interior. The Eagle Tower 
can be ascended, and other parts of the Castle may be explored. 
At the east end Is the Queen's Gateway— a gateway no longer. 

Leaving the Castle, and turning to the left, we reach the 
esplanade, and can explore the walls of the town, passing 
several towers, which have been adapted to modern pur- 
poses. For a view of Snowdonian mountains Twt Hill, on 
the left of the Bangor road as we walk from the station, may 
be ascended, and near Twt Hill is the large Eisteddfod Pavi- 
lion. Carnarvon also possesses a free reading room and a 
pleasant recreation ground. It is a good centre for excur- 
sions by land or water, and is provided witii comfortable 
hotels, and it is also possible to find lodgings. There is free 
fishing in lakes and rivers in the district. 

Antiquaries will visit the remains of the Roman city of Segon- 
tium. From the castle gateway walk straight across the Square 
and along Pool Street, which leads out of it, and take the right 
branch where the street forks. In six or seven minutes from the 
Square you reach Segontium Road. Turn down it (to the right) 
and soon, on the left, see the Roman wall at right angles to the 
street. Returning along Segontium Road, and following the road 
by which you came from the town, you reach a ginger-beer maker's 
house on the right, and passing down the garden (with permis- 
sion) to the workshop, find that one of the walls is composed of the 
old Roman masonry. Fresh discoveries of Roman ruins were made 
in 1893, when a field flanked by Vaynol Street and Constantine 
Road was being excavated for building purposes; and a bronze 
Cupid was picked up in the same locality in June of that year. 

A little further along this Beddgelert road is Llanbeblig 
Church (£ m.), with stepped battlements. It is the old 
parish ohurch of Carnarvon, and in the course of partial re- 
storation a few years ago several interesting discoveries were 
made. Another object of interest to the antiquary is Dinas 
Dinlle, about six miles from Carnarvon, and about three 
from Groeslon station, a large fortified post on the sea shore, 
near Llandwrog, on the way to Clynnog (about 9| miles), 
notable for its interesting church and cromlech (page 112). 
Clynnog and Dinas Dinlle are most conveniently reached by 
conveyances which meet some of the trains at Dinas Junction 
and Llanwnda. The visitor in search of other antiquities 
can cross the Straits by ferry to Anglesey, wbejre ancient re- 
mains abound!. 



288 LLANBEBIS. Distances. 

Carnarvon to Pwllheli by Railway. 

The London and North Western Railway runs on to Aion-wen, 
and there joins the Cambrian. As we leave Carnarvon, there is a 
fine backward view of the Castle, and about Dinas Junction (where 
the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway begins) we see the en- 
trance to the Straits and the great mound of Dlnas Dinlle on the 
shore. Soon we pass Uanwnda, and have a fine view of the Rivals 
rising from the sea ; at Pen-y-groes, we see Snowdon up the Vale of 
Nantlle; and as we approach Afon-wen there is an unrivalled 
view of the Carnarvonshire and Merionethshire mountains. 

Carnarvon to Llanberia by Rail. 

From Carnarvon to Llanberis is a journey of nine miles, 
with beautiful views of glen and mountain. Leaving the 
town the line reaches the bank of the Seiont (higher up 
called the Rhythallt) River, which is crossed several times, 
and makes pretty pictures from the carriage window. The 
train runs near the river all the way to Llyn Padarn. Not 
long after starting, Snowdon is seen to the right of Moel 
Eiho, the mountain which rises prominently on the right of 
the line, and presently conceals Snowdon from view, but it 
is again seen on the left of Eilio. Pont Rttg and Pont Rhyth- 
allt stations are passed, and here we are near several ancient 
fortified posts, Dinas Dinorwig and Dinas Mawr on the north 
of the line, Caer Carreg-y-fran on the south. [Pont Rhyth- 
allt, from which we see Elidyr and Glyder on one side of 
the Pass of Llanberis and Snowdon on the other, is the start- 
ing-point for a walk to Pentir and Bangor past the "Jubi- 
lee Hill," and a glimpse of the letters can be caught from 
this railway — see p. 269]. At Cwm-y-glo Snowdon is well in 
view ; and soon afterwards Llyn Padarn is reached. ^ Along 
the lake, for two miles, we quickly travel to Llanberis, with 
Dolbadarn Castle and the Pass in front, Snowdon on the 
right, EUdyr Fawr scarred with slate quarries on the left. 



Xlanbetf b. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

Summit of Snowdon, about 5 m., or 3 hours (by rail, 70 
min.). Snowdon Ranger (mountain walk), 4 m., Carnarvon 
(bv road). 7J, Bangor, via Pentir, about 10 (or 7 from Pont 
Rhythallt). Bethesda (over the hill), between 7 and 8, Old 
Llanberis Church, 21, " Cromlech Stone." 4, Gorphwysfa or 
Pen-y-pass (at the head of the Pass, where the way turns 
off. via Llyn Llydaw, to Snowdon), 5j, Llyn Llydaw, about 7, 
Summit of Snowdon (by the Llyn Llydaw route), 4— 4 J 
hours. Pen-y«gwryd, 6J miles. Llyn Gwynant, 9, Beddgelert, 
13|, Rhyd-ddu (station), 17J. Capel Curig, 10*. Bettws-y-coed, 
15g, Llyn Qgwea cottage (by road), 154, over the hills by 




z 

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a. 

z 



z 

o 

9 

J 
hi 

Z 

z 

3 



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a 

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Slate*. LliANBEfcTft. 289 

Twll Da and Llyn Idwal, between 7 and 8, ascent of Elldyr 
Fawr, 2J-3 hours, Garn, 5 hours, Moel Elllo, 1} hour, Sum- 
mit of 8nowdon oyer Eilio, 5 hours. 

LLANBERIS will be more popular than ever now that a 
railway (described in our Mountain Ascents, p. 812) runs 
to the summit of Snowdon. But Snowdon is not the only 
attraction of Llanberis, which lies near the entrance to the 
famous Pass. The Carnarvon railway lands us between the 
lakes, Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris. The high road runs near 
the side of the lakes, from one end to the other, and then keeps 
almost straight on through Old Llanberis, which is two miles 
and a quarter away, and up the Pass ; for the railway village 
is modern, though it is this which we always mean when we 
write of Llanberis. Coaches by which Pen-y-gwryd, Bedd- 
gelert, Capel Curig, Bettws-y-coed, and Bethesda can be 
reached, meet some of the trains. There are several good 
hotels and a number of lodging houses. Boating can be en- 
joyed on Llyn Padarn ; and there is fishing in the Seiont (or 
Rhythallt), in the lakes, and in the stream in the Pass of 
Llanberis. Licences for char and trout cost 5s. for the 
season ; salmon, 20s. Llanberis is about 350 feet above the 
sea. The population of the parish is 3,015. 

Llyn Peris, less than a quarter of a mile from Llyn Padarn, 
and about a mile in length, is a much more beautiful sheet 
of water, but the quarrying of the rocks is disfiguring the 
face of nature, and gradually filling up the lake. The quar- 
ries can be reached from the station by turning to the left 
on the Carnarvon road, and to the left again just before the 
Victoria Hotel is reached ; and a man will generally be found 
waiting by the offices to conduct strangers over the works. 
To see the beauties of Llyn Peris, the steep path which 
ascends the hill from near the entrance to the quarries should 
be climbed. Readers of Tennyson will remember Llanberis 

in the " Golden Tear," and how 

We crost 
Between the lakes, and clamber'd half-way up 

The counter side 

and, high above, I heard them blast 

The steep slate quarry, and the great echo flap 
And buffet round the hill from bluff to bluff. 

The ruins of Dolbadarn Castle, which are on our right as 
we go to the quarries, overlook Llyn Peris, and no very 
great stretch of the imagination would turn the quarries 
opposite, after the horn has sounded for blasting (within a 
few minutes of each hour), into a fort doing its best to get 
rid of the solitary tower which remains. 

Of course, Dolbadarn has its legend, which tells us that the 
fairest lady of all Cambria once dwelt here ; and it only adds one 
more version of the old, old story of a lady in love, but not with 



290 TXANBERTR Water faU. 

the object of her father's choice. The fair Margaret preferred 
William of Montgomery, the father, Hector of Marchlyn Mawr. It 
was arranged that the rival knights were to decide the fate of the 
young lady in a tournament; and it was agreed between them 
that the one who came to grief in the encounter should present to 
the other a steed on which to convey the lady to church on her 
wedding day. Hector, doubtful of the issue, and the •• villain of 
the piece," consulted a witch high up in the mountains, and ar- 
ranged with her that, if he was second-best in the lists, the devil 
was to provide him with a palfrey. We need scarcely say that 
Montgomery was the victor,- and, as Hector fell, a milk-white pal- 
frey of wondrous beauty galloped into, the arena. This was the 
demon-steed. The wedding day speedily arrived, and the lady, 
attended by a host of armed knights, rode the palfrey. At the 
right was the bridegroom, and on her left the discomfited Hector. 
Just as the church was reached the horse became restive, and the 
sight of a cross on the church gates caused it to start at full speed 
away from the throng, with the bride on its back. At once a hun- 
dred knights gave chase, but they were nowhere in the hunt, and 
soon only William of Montgomery remained. Hours of hard riding 
at a tremendous pace ensued, and just as the enchanted palfrey 
reached the steep side of Penmaen-mawr the bridegroom got along- 
side on his horse, and clasped the lady round the waist. But it 
was too late, and with one loud scream from the latter the horses 
and their riders plunged into the abyss. 

Llanberis has a waterfall, Ceunant Mawr. Beaching the 
Carnarvon road from the station, pass up a lane to the left 
of the church, presently bend to the left through a gate, and 
follow a footpath. Soon turn to the right by a house, and 
almost immediately a path on the left leads by the side of 
the stream to the fall. The railway viaduct spans the ravine. 
Another way to the fall turns to the right opposite the en- 
trance to the Victoria Hotel, and this is the start for Snow- 
don. In a few minutes turn to the right from the Snowdon 
route, cross the stream and reach the turning to the fall 
mentioned above. At the foot of the fall a path ascends on 
the right, to the top of the ravine. [Here you can pass 
through a gate, cross the railway, and follow a path which 
presently leads down to the stream, fordable after drought, 
and formerly crossed by a plank, for the benefit of those who 
wished to reach the Snowdon path, only a few yards away]. 

Across the Hills to the Snowdon Ranger. 

At the head of the ravine, reached by the path from the bottom 
of the fall, as described in the last paragraph, take a road which 
runs up to the right towards a little group of houses. Passing to 
the left of them, you reach a lane and then turn to the left. The 
route follows the course of the stream which makes the fall (a little 
distance from it), crosses another stream (from XAyn Dwythwch), 
still keeps near the first stream, and after a while ascends the 
slopes of Moel G6ch— a well-defined pathway— and when the sum- 
mit, Swleh-y-maesewm, is crossed, we pass through a gate and des- 
cend. Some distance down, the path from Snowdon to the Snow- 
don Ranger is struck, and, turning along it, to the right, that hos- 
telry will be reached. The walk (4 m.) Is an invigorating one, with 



To DeviCs Kitchen. LLANBEEIS. 291 

grand views on both sides of the ridge. Mynydd Mawr rises 
boldly over Llyn Gwellyn, and the Garnedd Goch range on the 
other side of the Nan tile Vale (whioh faces us) is quite impres- 
sive from here. The return can be made by rail. 

Across the Hills to the Devil's Kitchen and 

Llyn Offwen. 

The Elidyrs, Garn, and the Glyders form the great mountain 
wall which divides the pass of Llanberis from the Pass of Nant 
Ffrancon and Llyn Ogwen. The nearest and finest way to Ogwen 
(between 7 and 8 miles) is over the hills; and includes one view 
which is surpassed in grandeur nowhere in Wales. We walk as 
far as Old Llanberis (2J miles), turn left along a road a little way 
past the church and follow a path up the hill. Near the 
highest cottage, we take a path to the left, cross a wall-stile, and 
keep uphill, not far from the wall, pass through or over a gate at 
a corner of the wall, and then turn up to the right, near a stream, 
and cross the shoulder of Garn. The ridge crossed, we bear to 
the left for a while, not' getting too much down, but presently 
cross towards Glyder Fawr, which we see on the other side of this 
upland valley, and reach Llyn-y-cwn (the Lake of the Hounds), the 
stream from which will lead us to the chasm of Twll Du, the 
Devil's Kitchen, or rather to the rocks above it, for to descend 
into it is out of the question. Standing on the rocks to the right, 
what a view! The rocky pinnacles of Tryfan and the great preci- 
pices of the Glyders on the right, Garn on the left, Llyn Idwal 
and Llyn Ogwen below, and Braich Du, running up to Carnedd 
Dafydd, beyond, compose a picture of loveliness and grandeur 
never to be forgotten. [From Llyn-y-cwn (about 2,200 feet) it is 
three quarters of an hour's climb up Glyder Fawr. See p. 303]. 
For Llyn Ogwen, let us be careful, choosing the right point to 
begin the descent. Four or five minutes' walk to the right of Twll 
Du rather a wide opening between the rocks will be found, with 
a little cairn to mark it (unless it is removed by the silly people 
who demolish the guide stones on the mountains), and a little 
stream, which may be dry after drought, running down ; and down 
here we go, and presently wind round to the left under the rock in 
the direction of Twll Du. There is no difficulty or danger in this 
descent for any but careless persons, but, of course, it will not be 
attempted in foggy weather. The chief thing is to start cautiously. 
Below Twll Du, after finding the easiest spot to cross the Twll 
Du stream, we descend, bearing to the left, and then keep along 
Llyn Idwal, at first some distance above it. An indistinct path 
runs immediately below the lowest rocks. At the end of the lake 
we turn to the right, and on the right hand side of the lake find a 
track running down to Llyn Offwen. 

Other walks from Llanberis need not be described in detail. The 
path which ascends from near the entrance to the quarries leads 
(straight on) into the road to Bethesda. The antiquary will find 
several interesting spots to visit— the walled Caer Carreg-y-fran, 
near Cwm-y-glo station (which we have passed on our way from 
Carnarvon), Dinas Mawr, a little to the north in the same locality, 
and Dinas Dinorwig, still further north, near Llanddeiniolen— all 
ancient hill-forts, and Llys Dinorwig, near Dinas Mawr, the scanty 
remains of a large mediaeval mansion. For a walk from Pont 
Bhythallt see pp. 269, 270: and for mountain ascents, pp. 312, 313. 
324. 

Up Llanberis Pass to Pen-y-gfwryd. 

As we start from New Llanberis we cast a farewell glance 
at the outliers of Snowdoo — hollow-breasted Moel Eilio, Moel 



202 LLANfeERtS. the Pom. 

Goch, and curiously-Bhaped Moel Cynghorion, and then pass 
along the shores of Llyn Peris, opposite the quarries. Here, 
if we keep a good look-out, we shall see the glacier-marks 
on the large smooth rocks lying to our right, close to the 
road, and near an octagonal building. These glaciated rocks 
are very fully described by Sir Andrew Ramsay in his inter- 
esting book on the Old Glaciers of Switzerland and North 
Wales. We have them in other passes in Wales, but nowhere 
will the glacier theory be better illustrated than in the Pass of 
Llanberis. They can be seen to perfection by ascending to 
Cwm Glas (locally pronounced with the accent on " Cwm "), 
where the " moraine heaps, boulders, and roches mouton- 
nees " are more plentifully scattered than elsewhere in the 
district. We must not confound these smooth striated 
boulders, polished and grooved by the moving glacier, with 
the masses of rock that have fallen from the effects of storm 
and weather, one of the most remarkable of which lies near 
Pont-y-gromlech. It is popularly called " The Cromlech 
Stone " ; and a story is told of a remarkable old woman who 
for some years lived in the cavity formed by the fallen rocks. 
At Old Llanberis (2$ m.) we pass (on our right) the church, 
which has been judiciously restored, portions of the old 
structure — notably a singular 15th-century roof — being re- 
tained, and is still an interesting building. The Well of St. 
Peris is reached by turning to the left a little past the church, 
and is in front of a cottage under a rock. 

The Well was formerly frequented for the miraculous cures It 
was supposed to effect. Two fishes were kept In the water, and the 
village tradition was that if one of them appeared a cure was cer- 
tain, but 11 they kept in their hiding place no such good fortune 
was to be expected. When the fishes were both dead two more 
were placed in the well (for it was said to be of no use to put one 
fresh fish in, since the other would not associate with it, and It 
died), and two were put there in 1896, on the death of the old 
denizen, which had inhabited the well for fifty years. When we 
last visited the well several fish had been placed in it, and we 
were told that It was not exactly on the ancient site. 

Soon we get well into the Pass, and the shoulder which 
rises before us to the left is Ystol or Ysgol Felen (the Yellow 
Ladder), misnamed on maps Esgair Felen, a shoulder of 
Glyder Fawr. About three miles and a half from New Llan- 
beris, when a house called Blaen-y-nant is in front on our 
right, we should turn aside over a bridge if we ascended to 
Cwm Glas, under the serrated ridge of Grib Goch and Crib- 
y-ddysgyl. The so-called Cromlech Stone mentioned above 
is a little way beyond Blaen-y-nant, and then we cross Pont- 
y-gromlech, and may see to our left, on the ridge ahead, a 
large boulder which is a good specimen of a " bloc perche " 
(on a "roche moutonnee ) left where the remains of the 



Distances. PEN-Y-GWRYD. 208 

great glacier once filling up the valley finally melted from 
beneath it. 

The whole of the Pass may be seen from this point — from 
the top down to Dolbadarn — and a wonderful sight it is. 
From the bridge a mile and a quarter of hard climoing will 
bring us to Gorphwysfa, better known by the hybrid name of 
Pen-y-pass, or Pass Head. Gorphwysfa means resting-place. 
The road for Snowdon is opposite the inn, and to the left of 
it the ascent of the Glyders is begun. Not far behind the 
house a lake, Llyn Cwm Ffynnon, lies, the resort of fisher- 
men. Leaving Pen-y-pass (1,16*9 feet), we look back with 
admiration at the wedge-shaped Grib G6ch, and soon the fine 
precipices of Lliwedd, another part of Snowdon, reveal them- 
selves. We look along Nant-y-gwryd to Capel Curig and its 
lakes, with Moel Siabod to the right, and the Glyders to the 
left. Before long we see Llyn Gwynant in the depths to our 
right, and the road running down to Beddgelert. A mile 
from Gorphwysfa we reach Pen«y«gwryd 9 the head of 
the Gwryd Valley, and the site of an hotel mentioned in one 
of Charles Kingsley's novels, as will be seen in our Mountain 
Ascents. 

EXCURSIONS AND DISTANCES. 

Pen-y-pass, 1 m., Old Llanberls, 4, New Llanberis station, 
6£, Llyn Llydaw, 2|, Glaslyn, about 4, Summit of Snowdon, 
2£ hours, Llyn Gwynant, 2| miles, Llyn-y-ddinas, 5, Bedd- 
gelert, 7J, Pont Aberglaslyn, 9, Portmadoc (nearest walking 
way), 14, Rhyd-ddu (Snowdon railway station), Hi, Capel 
Curig, 4, BettwB-y-coed, 9i, Llyn Ogwen Cottage, by road, 
9$, over the hill, 2— 2J hours, Bethesda station, 14 m., 
Dolwyddelan (over the bill), about 6J, Roman Bridge 
station (over the hill), 5, to Bwlch Rhiw 'r Tchain, 
along Cribiau and back by Bwlch Ehediad, about 6, Glyder 
Fawr, 2 hours, Glyder Fach, 14—2 hours, Tryfan, 2) hours, 
Moel Siabod, 2 hours, Cnlcht, 3} hours. 

PEN-Y-GWRYD HOTEL (907 feet) is a solitary house 
standing at the junction of the roads leading to the Pass 
of Llanberis, Capel Curig, and Beddgelert, and about 2f m. 
from Llyn Gwynant. The Beddgelert road is described in the 
reverse direction 'on page 310. Coaches run past Pen-y- 
gwryd to Beddgelert, Portmadoc, Capel Curig, Bethesda, and 
Bettws-y-coed. Visitors bent upon more ambitious climbing 
than we have thought it prudent to describe (in our Moun- 
tain Ascents) should consult a locked volume, which is onlv 
to be opened by application to the landlady. The old visi- 
tors* book was rifled years ago of some .of its most precious 
contents- On one Qccasjoq, whep Charles Kingsley, Tom 



294 PEN-Y-GWBYD. Clever Trifling. 

Tavlor, and Thomas Hughes, the author of " Tom Brown's 
School Days, ' were here, they wrote the following— 

T.T. 
I came to Pen-y-gwryd with colours armed and pencils, 
But found no use whatever for any such utensils ; 
80 in default of them I took to using knives and forks, 
And made successful drawings— of Mrs Owen's corks. 

C.K. 
I came to Penygwryd in frantic hopes of slaying [saying: 

Grilse, Salmon, 31b. red-fleshed Trout, and what else there's no 
But bitter cold and lashing rain, and black, nor'-eastern skies, sir. 
Drove me from fish to botany, a 6adder man and wiser. 

T.H. 
I came to Pen-y-gwryd a larking with my betters, 
A mad wag and a mad poet, both of them men of letters ; 
Which two ungrateful parties, after all the care I've took 
Of them, make me write verses in Henry Owen's book. 

T.T. 
We've been mist-soaked on Snowdon, mist-soaked on Glyder Fawr, 
We've been wet through on an average every day three times an 

hour; 
We've walked the upper leathers from the soles of our balm orals, 
And as sketchers and as fishers with the weather have had our 
quarrels. 

C.K. 

But think just of the plants which stuff'd our box— old Yarrell's 

gift— 
And of those which might have stuff'd it if the clouds had given 

a lift; 
Of tramping bogs, and climbing cliffs, and shoving down stone 

fences. 
For Spiderwort, Saussurea, and Woodsia Ilvensis. 

T.H. 

Oh my dear namesake's breeches, you never see the like, 
He bust them all so shameful a crossing of a dyke ; 
But Mrs. Owen patohed them as careful as a mother, 
With flannel of three colours— she hadn't got no other. 

T.T. 

But can we say enough of those legs of mountain muttons, 

And that onion sauce lies on our souls, for It made of us three 

gluttons ; 
And the Dublin stout is genuine, and so's the Burton beer, 
And the apple tarts they've won our hearts, and think of souffles 

herel - 

C.K. 

Resembling that old woman that never could be quiet, 

Though victuals (says the child's song) and drink formed all her 

diet, 
My love for plants and scrambling shored empire with my dinner. 
And who says it wasn't good must be a most fastidious sinner. 

T.H. 
Now all I've got to say is, you can't be bettex tieated; 
Order pancakes and you'll And they're the best you've ever eated. 
If you scramble o'er the mountains you should bring an ordnance 

map; 
I eadorse all that previous gents have said about the tap. 



Llyn Llydaw. PEN-Y-GWRYD. 295 

T.T. 

Pen-y-gwryd, when wet and worn, has kept a warm fireside lor us ■ 
Bocks, boots, and never-mention-ems, Mrs. Owen still has drle£ 
for us; ucu 

With host and hostess, fare and bill, so pleased we are, that, coin* 
We feel, for all their kindness, 'tis we. not they, are Owin'. 

T.H. T.T. C.K. 

Nos tres in uno juneti hos fecimus versiculos, 
Tomas pisoator pisces qui non cepi sed plsclculos, 
Tomas sclagraphus sketches qui non feci nisi ridiculos, 
Her bar! us Carolus montes qui lustravi perpendlculos. 

T.H. 
There's big trout, I hear, In Edno, likewise in Gwynant lake, 
And the governor and black alder are the flies that they will take. 
Also the cockabundy, but I can only say, 
If you think to catch big fishes, I only hope you mayt 

T.T. 
I have come in for more of mountain gloom than mountain glory, 
But I've seen old Snowdon rear his head with storm-tossed mist 

wreaths hoary ; 
I stood in the fight of mountain winds upon Bwlch-owm-y-Uan, 
And I go back, an unsketching, but a better-minded man. 

C.K. 
And I, too, have another debt to pay some other day, 
For kindness shown by these good souls to one who's far away, 
Even to this old colley dog, who tracked the mountains o'er 
For one who seeks strange birds and flowers on far Australia's 
shore. 

Pen-y-gwryd, it must be confessed, has its full allowance 
of rain and mist, but, sometimes, when one valley is filled 
with clouds the next is enlivened by bright sunshine. This 
we have experienced at Pen-y-gwryd, where from the hotel 
window we could scarcely see a yard before us, while Llan- 
beris Pass was as brilliant as sunshine could make it. 

To Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn on Snowdon. 

From Pen-y-gwryd may be made the finest ascent of Snow- 
don, but it cannot be denied that the zig-zag from Glaslyn 
is very steep. For three parts of the way up not only are 
the views fine, as they are the whole distance, but we have 
a cart road to travel by, and the ascent is not difficult. This 
is what is often called the Capel Curig ascent. First of all 
we must retrace our steps as far as Pen-y-pass, where, to the 
left, we take a cart road going round the shoulder of the 
mountain. This we follow for a mile or more, when we pass 
Llyn Teyrn on our left ; and in another half mile or so (finally 
cutting off a corner of the road) we reach Llyn Llydaw 
(1,415 feet), a beautiful sheet of water over a mile long, from 
which an impressive view of Y Wyddfa may be obtained. 
[To TJyn Llydaw, which no one should miss, it is possible 
to drive — over a very rough road]. We cross the lake on a 



296 PEN-Y-GWRYD. CHadyn. 

continuation of our road through the water (which occasio 
ally submerges it). At the other end of the lake we shall fi 
the view charming ; looking back, Nant-y-gwryd lieB befo 
us, with its attendant mountains, and the lakes at Cap 
Curig. And now our mountain road becomes perceptibl 
steeper, and the vast cwm (formed by the steep sides 
Lliwedd, running straight down into Llydaw, and the gre 
sweep of Grib G6ch) which encompasses the lake is secon 
to no other for grandeur. On the slopes of Lliwedd a white 
marble cross has been placed in memory of Mr. Alfred Evans, 
of Liverpool, who fell and perished when he was attempting 
to scale that eminence on the 20th of May, 1888. In Septem- 
ber, 1894, Mr. Mitchell, of Oxford, was engaged in the same 
attempt, when he, too, lost his life. As we see in our ascent, 
many parts of this side of Snowdon are marred by the handi- ! 
work of the miner, who has been searching for wealth here, I 
from time to time, since the days of the Romans. On our i 
left the little river Gwynant dashes on its noisy way down 
towards Llyn Llydaw, and soon, at Glaslyn (1,970 feet 
high) we are shut in by huge precipices, which at the further ! 
end of the lake come sheer down from the highest peak of Y 
Wyddfa into the water. To the right of these precipices we 
see, running up from the cart road, the zig-zag path, which, 
steep as it is, can be ascended on ponies. 

For the ascent of Snowdon, as well as the Glyders, Moel Siabod, 
and Cnicht, see Mountain Ascents. And here let us Bay that, al- 
though thousands of tourists year by year ascend Snowdon with- 
out guides, and the paths are plain, there is a certain element of 
danger for the inexperienced, or at any rate the careless, In doing 
so except in settled weather, and several lives have been lost. 

Cwm Dyli Waterfalls. 

The sojourner at Pen-y-gwryd may pay a visit to Ctrnn Dyli Water- 
faUt. To reach them go up the Snowdon road to near Llyn 
Llydaw, turn to the left over " the miner's bridge," and walk down 
the right-hand bank of the stream, which is less steep than the 
left-hand. The upper falls are soon reached, and you can follow 
the stream carefully to the lower falls. Still avoid the steep bank 
on the left and descend into the valley, and then make your way 
to some dilapidated cottages further down the stream, cross the 
foot-bridge, and pass up the old Beddgelert road to Pen-y-gwryd. 
Below the road, and a little above the stream, are some hut-circles, 
with causeways or paths of stones leading from one to the other. 
The spot is called in Welsh Tre 'r Owyddel, the Irishman's Town, 
and the pass between Pen-y-gwryd and Gorphwysfa Bwlch y- 
gwyddel. You will probably come home with very wet boots. 

To Dolwyddelan by Bwlch Rhiw 'r Ychain. 

Walk a very little way along the Beddgelert road, and then strike 
up the hill (often boggy). An indistinct path will guide you for 
a while, and then you see a depression on your left. Keep to the 
right of this, but at the head of it bear to the left. Finally an Iron 
fence will guide you to the Bwlch. [At the Bwlch the climber 
could turn to the right along Cribiau> walk in thirty or forty mln- 



r 

Distances. CAt»EL CUfetfe. &&t 

* 

utes to a large gap in the ridge, Bwlch Ehsdiad, and then turn down 
to the right to the Beddgelert road,. reached about two miles from 
Pen-y-gwryd (p. 243). It is a walk of about 6 miles]. Descend to 
the Duwaunedd Lakes, walk on the left of them, then bear rather 
to the right between a sheep-fold and a little rocky height. An in- 
distinct path runs on to a gate in a wire fence, and from there a 
road is "followed to the Ffridd farm, where you turn left. When 
the road turns to the right by a building keep straight on, and 
the track will lead you past Dolwyddelan Castle to Dolwyddelan. 
But if, after leaving Ffridd you turn to the right in a minute by a 
footpath, it will take you to Roman Bridge station and save you a 
walk of a mile and a half (see p. 242). 

Across Qlyder Faeh to Llyn Ogwen. 

.This is a short cut (2— 2} h.), but there is a stiff climb. Start- 
ing behind the hotel, you make for a wall on the right of Qlyder 
Fach, walk on the left of it, and follow it up until it turns sharply 
to the right. From here a line of stones, first on the rocks, and then 
stuck in the turf, will guide you to a point where you look down 
into Cwm Tryfan, and your path descends a grassy slope into the 
cwm. The path, keeping to the head of the cwm, runs past a 
rocky mound, and almost straight on, and crosses the ridge be- 
tween Glyder Fach and Tryfan. Having reached Cwm Bochlwyd, 
walk round the right end of the lake, cross a stream, descend near 
it, and make for the path from Llyn Idwal to Llyn Ogwen (page 
302). It is a very fine walk, and on the way most of the notable 
heights of North Wales are seen. 

Pen-y-g;wrycl to Capel Curlg. 

Leaving Pen-y-gwryd, the rocky peaks of Glyder Fach will 
attract our attention on the left. One of them is called 
Castell-y-gwynt (the Castle of the Wind), and by it keeps 
guard " The Sentinel," a huge stone, like a natural maenhir. 
Journeying up the Pass of Llanberis, the summit of Snow- 
don was hidden, but we come in sight of the peak again 
on our way to Capel Curig. A gentle descent will bring us in 
a little less than four miles to the Royal Hotel, at the end of 
the lakes, with Moel Siabod rising above them. From the gar- 
den of this house we get the fine view of Snowdon previously 
mentioned, with Lliwedd to the left, Grib Goch and Carnedd 
Ugan to the right, and the highest peak, Y Wyddfa, tower- 
ing in the midst. Beyond the hotel we soon have the sum- 
mit of Pen-llithrig-y-wrach before us, and at the corner, by 
Capel Curig; Church, we enter the Holyhead road, and 
are distant from Bethesda ten miles, and Bettws-y-coed five 
and a half. Here there is another grand view of Snowdon. 



Capel Gurt0* 

BZCTTBSION8 AND DI8TANCE8. 

Pont-y-cyfyng, 1| m., Swallow Fall, 3J, Bettws-y-coed, 5|, 
Llyn Crafnant, 3*. Trefriw (walking way, via Crafnant), 6, 
Llanrwst station (via Crafnant), 7, Llyn Cowlyd, about 2, 
Trefriw (via Llyn Cowlyd). about 8. Dolwyddelan (over the 
hill), 5J, Pen-y-gwryd, 4, Snowdon, 3J— 4 hours, Llanberis, 



298 CAPEL CURIG. Fishing. 

10} miles, Beddgelert, 111, Snowdon station (Rhyd-ddu), 15$, 
Llyn. Ogwen, 4},- Ogwen Cottage and Benglog Falls, 5$, Beth- 
, esda station, 10, Bangor station, 151, Moel Siabod, 1J hour's 
steady walk, Pen-llitnrig-y-wrach, 2 hours, Craig Eryrod, 1J 
hour, Carnedd Dafydd, 2J--3 hours, Carnedd Llewelyn, 3 — 5J 
hours, over Carnedd Llewelyn to Llanfair-fechan or Aber, 
between 6 and 7 hours, Ffynnon Llugwy (nearly two miles 
from the Bangor road), about 4 miles, Fiynnon Lloer, be- 
tween 5 and 6 miles, Llyn Geirionydd, about 4£. 

CAPEL CURIG, which is 600 feet above the sea, is one of 
the best centres in Wales for those who love the moun- 
tains, whether they can reach the great heights or not. The 
air is bracing, and the lower hills afford views of exquisite 
beauty. It is a very small place ; a few houses collected 
chiefly at the junction of the Bangor and Beddgelert 
roads ; but besides the hotels (one of which, the Tyn-y- 
coed, is near Pont-y-cyfyng) there are several lodging 
houses at Capel Curig itself, and on the road stretch- 
ing from " the corner " past Pont-y-cyfyng in the direction 
of Bettws-y-coed, from which in the season a coach runs two 
or three times a day. Capel Curig is a good station for 
fishermen. Besides the Capel Curig lakes, there are the 
Llugwy lake and river, Llyn Ogwen and the Ogwen river, 
Llyn Cowlyd, Llyn Bodgynwydd (commonly called Llyn Bod), 
Geirionydd, and others. There is boating on the Capel Curig 
lakes. 

The road from Bettws-y-coed, up the Llugwy Valley and past 
the Swallow Pall, has been described (pp. 232, 233). Behind 
the houses at Capel Curig " corner " the little river runs in a 
rocky bed under a bridge, where, after heavy rain, the roar- 
ing torrent makes an impressive scene ; and over this bridge 
pleasant rambles can be found along the river-side and up 
the slopes of Cefn-y-capel. Another pleasant walk, espe- 
cially when the sun is hot, is in the woods near the Llugwy, 
at the foot of Moel Siabod, reached by crossing the bridge 
at the Royal Hotel, or near the school, or at Pont-y-cyfyng; 
walkers who shirk the whole ascent of Siabod should climb 
its lower slopes for the views which they afford ; and several 
paths run up the hills on the north of the Bettws road. At 
the upper end of the Capel Curig lakes, or Xlyniau Mymbyr, 
is the picturesque Pont-y-garth ; and^ Pont-y-cyfyng, which 
we have mentioned, is another beautiful spot. 

To Llyn Crafnant, Trofriw and Llanrwst. 

To the left of the new Church the mountain path for Llyn 
Crafnant (3£ m.) and Trefriw (6 m.) begins. In a few yards 
a stile is crossed, then turn to the left, soon pass through a 
gate and turn to the right, on the slopes of Cfogwyn Mawr. 
when some buildings on the other side of a little valley come 



ilyd. CAPEL CURIQ. 299 

e path runs rather in their direction, crosses a 
i slab bridge, then turns to the left and keeps ou 
■ distance near the Btream until it bends to the 
path (avoid one to the right) runs on to the right 
eminence, soon passes through a gate, and after- 
ts on thought of a wire fence (very wet here in 
r rain) and then of a wall, until we reach the 
in, and ascend near it. After the ascent the path 
te branch descending at once into the Crafnant 
r e can take either branch, but keeping to the right, 
on, on our left, a knoll from which we gain a de- 
iw of Llyn Crafnant. Now, if we go to Tref- 
descending from the knoll we keep along the path, 
escend through a wood to the road by the lake-side. 
227). The walk to Crafnant can also be begun 
i-y-bwlch school ; and the hills on the right of this 
mand one of the most remarkable views in Wales 
iping of Snowdon, the Glyders, Tryfan, the Car- 
d others, being most impressive. 

To Llyn Cowlyd. 

Cowlyd (over 2 m.) we turn to the right by a track from 
r road, over half-a-mile from the church, at a spot where 
gateway on each side of the road. As soon as we pass 
gate a little way up the hill it is better to bear to the 
roid the bogs. Reaching a little eminence, note a sheep- 
distance away, and make for it; or, if it cannot be distin- 
ake for your guide Pen-llithrlc, to the right of which 
es, but avoid getting into the doss on your left. The 

probably take about an hour. [Some care should be 
at Llyn Cowlyd, for fishermen have been drowned of late 
Its waters]. Past Cowlyd you could make your way to 
d Fall (about 8 m. from Capel Curig), or, on your way 
n to the left, about a mile from the snore of Cowlyd, for 
au, which lies to the north of Pen-llithrig, or to the right 
w (see page 228). Pen IAithrig y Wrath means the Top of 
Slide. This refers to a tale now lost in Wales; but there 
.arly-named place on the Island of Jura (see Campbell's 
Hand TaUe, vol. ii., pp. 350, 351), of which the following 

told:— The Hag (Chaileach) of Ben More had captured 
; of Col on say. He escaped, and had descended the cliffs 
at, when the awakened hag spied him from her conning- 
orthwith she made a glissade down the break-neck slopes, 
n the process marks now called Sgriob na Cailich, or the 
Lde, on the north-west side of the Paps of Jura (height 
), where they run down to the sea. Her " marks " are 
cribed:—"Two rocky gorges begin at the very top of the 
ch were made by the Carlin's heels, and two strips of bare 
lders extend across the side of lower hills almost to the 
resumably in the now lost Welsh legend the boat must 
>.n on Llyn Cowlyd, and the " slide " must have been the 
is of talus which stream down this side of the Witch's Pen. 

To Llyn Gelrionydd, etc 

jlrionydd you leave the Bettws road about two miles and 
r from Capel Curig. by a road that runs up to the left past 



300 CAPEL CURIG. To Dolwyddelan. 

a farm, where you turn to the left. The track runs immediately 
to the left of. a low range of hills. After a while Llyn-y-goeden, 
called Llyn Goddion Duon on the ordnance map, is seen on the 
right, and soon after Llyn Bychan on the left. The narrow path 
runs on oyer the hills parallel with Llyn Bychan, tod before long 
Llyn Geirlonydd is seen in front. In descending, bear to the right, 
towards some slate works, and find a track running down to a 
house, when you turn to the right and, soon to the left for 
Geirionydd (about 4} m. from Capel Curig). Irom here (see pp. 238, 
226) the walk can be continued to Llyn Crafnant, and back by the 
route described on page 227. Another lake, liyn-y-foel, lies in a 
fine situation under the precipices of Siabod (to the east of it), 
and is approached over Pont-y-cyfyng. 

Across the Hills to Dolwyddelan. 

Walk down the Bettws road to Pont-y-cyfyng, cross it, 
and take the lane which turns up from the old Bettws road 
just before a chapel is reached (a church is first passed). You 
ascend for a while, and then, where the lane divides, with 
an out-building seen to the right, follow the left branch. The 
lane winds up the hill towards Siabod, and then the track 
runs pretty well straight on, but the direction is rather to- 
wards Siabod. When yon come in sight of the mountains in 
front you can distinguish the position of Dolwyddelan, for it 
stands opposite a great gap in the range. The track keeps 
under the lower parts of Siabod for a while, then passes 
through a gate, and soon crosses a stream. Soon afterward: 
a building is passed, and then the way runs down to th< 
stream again (after it has made a great bend). The streaa 
is crossed once more, the road soon bends a little to th< 
left, then to the right, and so to Dolwyddelan (5| miles « 
2 hours). 

Ascent of Craig: Eryrod. 

Starting up behind a house on the Bangor road (a little w»j 
past the 39th milestone) we keep along the ridge to Graig Wt 
(1,770 feet), and then on to Craig" Eryrod, the highes 
summit of the ridge (about 2,200 feet) — say a walk of an hoi 
and a half [but half an hour brings us in view of a delightfi 
panorama]. The shortest line of ascent is a short distanc 
to the left of Graig Wen, but some care is needed to av< 
swampy places. This is the view — 

Pen-llithrig-y-wrach is across Llyn Cowlyd from Craig Eryi 
and we look up the valley to Llyn Ogwen and Llyn Idwal, si 
rounded by a noble group of mountains. Tryfan is close to C 
wen, the Glyders are oeyond Tryfan, and then we see Gara, wf 
Elidyr Fawr to the right of it, and Carnedd Dafydd and Carnet 
Llewelyn further right and nearer to us. Y Wyddfa is to the h 
of Tryfan, and Hebog peeps over the shoulder of Lliwedd. 
complete the panorama, these are the points we see in success! 
as we look to the right from Llewelyn-.— Foel Fras, Drum, Tat 
fan (N.), Conway Mountain, Orme'B Head, Llandudno, Conwav, ai 
th« Little Orme, Moel Eilio and the River Conway, Handriilo? 
RhAa Church, the sea. the white telegtapb station at LJyslarf 



To Ogwen. CAPEL CURIG. 301 

near Coiwyn, Llandulas Pier, Llyn Crafnant (E.), with Llanrwst 
and Moel Fammau aorose It, Moel-y-gamelin, near Llangollen, the 
Berwyns, the Arenigs, the hills south of Dolwyddelan, Cader Idrls 
<S.), Diphwys, the Rhinogs, and Cnicht. From Craig Eryrod, if we 
wish to reach Crafnant, we can return to the base of the peak, and 
make our way down a gorge. Keeping to the right slope, after a 
time we shall find a path leading down to a house. To return 
from here to Capel Curig, follow a path across the head of the 
valley, and up the opposite hill. (See page 227). 

Capel Curls to Llyn Ogwen and 

Llyn Idwal. 

As we leave Capel Curig we shall enjoy the contrast be- 
tween the wooded slopes of Siabod and the bare ridges of the 
Carnedd range. Beyond Pen-llithrig rises Pen Heiyg, over 
which we see Carnedd Llewelyn, with Carnedd Dafydd to the 
left of it. A mile and a quarter from Capel Curig, Tryfan, 
distinguished by two stones on its summit, comes in view, 
and a little more than a mile further we should turn off to 
the right if we wished to visit Ffynnon Llugwy, a lake which 
lies between Pen Helyg and the shoulders of Carnedd Llew- 
elyn, secluded amongst the great mountains. At the 36th mile- 
stone, after crossing the river Llugwy, which rises in the lake, 
the point is reached where the ascent of Carnedd Llewelyn is 
begun ; and here we are 1,020 feet above the sea. Looking up 
Cwm Tryfan, we get a fine glimpse of Glyder Fach ; and in less 
than another mile we reach the shores of Llyn Ogwen, 
where, on the other side, the little river Lloer descends from 
the lake of that name. Ogwen is surrounded by several of the 
loftiest mountains of Wales. To our left is Tryfan, one 
of the most remarkable of the Snowdonian heights, a huge 
mass of rugged rock, and the upright stones on the top are 
so like human beings that many travellers have been deceived 
(p. 323). On the right, at the other end of the lake, Braich 
Du, a shoulder of Carnedd Dafydd, comes down into the 
water ; before us is Garn, with Foel Goch to the right of it, 
rising above Nant Ffrancon ; to the left, as we proceed, the 
Glyders ; and then we reach a little cottage (993 feet), where 
cars can be put up and modest refreshments can be obtained ; 
where, too, artists frequently resort for lodging. Ogwen, 
which is a favourite fishing lake (free), celebrated for its 
trout, is about a mile long, and at the western end, not far 
from the cottage, are the Falls of the Ogwen or Benglog Falls. 
The river Ogwen takes its rise in the lake, and near the stream 
runs the road through Nant Ffrancon to Bethesda (station 
4| m.) and Bangor (10 m.). It is much better to travel from 
Bethesda to Llyn Ogwen (p. 273). From the old road on 
the left of the stream (p. 273) the falls are most easily seen. 
For mountain ascents from here see pp. 323, 324, 328. 



302 CAPEL CURIG. Llyn Idwal. 

Llyn Idwal and Twll Du.-On to Llanberis. 

Llyn- Idwal (1,223 feet) is a gloomy lake in a hollow, 
backed by the precipices of Glyder Fawr. We turn up between 
the cottage and a little mill, following a track, more like a 
water-course after heavy rain, which, after a while, bends to the 
right, and brings us to Idwal in about a quarter of an hour. 
If you have your choice of days, and can afford to brave the 
weather, choose a day when the clouds are scudding about 
the mountains to see Idwal, and then you will certainly re- 
member it. But it is an impressive scene at any time, and 
particularly interesting to the geologist, for this, says Ram- 
say, was the first glacier valley in Wales described in detail 
— by Darwin. The waters of the lake are partly dammed up 
by a terminal moraine, and the basin of the lake, Professor 
Ramsay thinks, was ground out by the old glacier. The 
rocks about here are covered with glacier scorings ; but the 
most noteworthy remains of the great ice age for the ordin- 
ary tourist are the "four moraines, arranged in long sym- 
metrical mounds, one within another, on the western shore 
of the lake." Along these little green hills the pedestrian 
can walk, recalling the time when they were brought down 
from the mountains and deposited by the receding glacier. 

Llyn Idwal has its legend, told by Pennant, who says that 
Prince Idwal, a son of Owen Gwynedd's, was murdered here 
by his foster-father, Dunod ; and we cannot wonder that of 
old it was supposed that the lake was the haunt of demons, 
and that no bird could fly over its waters. If we climb the 
hills about it we shall find other lakes or tarns — notably 
Llyn Bochlwyd, mentioned on page 303 ; and there is also 
Cwm Clydy on the west of Idwal, some 2,200 or 2,300 feet 
high, under the topmost crags of Garn — with two little 
tarns, one in a rocky bed close to the crags. To this we 
ascend by a stream which comes from the tarns, at the Ogwen 
end of Idwal; and in Cwm Clyd some rare plants are, or 
were, to be seen. 

Twll DU (the Black Hole), called in English the Devi?* 
Kitchen, is a remarkable cleft in a rock at the south end of 
the lake — the great chasm at the top of the rocks, which 
faced you when the path from Ogwen turned to the right, 
towards Idwal. You cannot pass through it, but only look 
at it. It lies high above the lake, and though Idwal is only 
about half a mile long, the way is rough, and it will probably 
take you over an hour to reach the huge boulders below the 
chasm. If you keep to the left of the lake you cross a pretty 
stream falling in its rocky bed at the extreme end, and then 
bear gradually up to the boulders ; but the drier and perhaps 
quicker walk is on the other side. Keep along the end of Idwal, 



Bochlwyd. CAPEL CUBIG. 908 

and soon after crossing a wall ascend one of the morain* 
heaps. If you are lucky you will find an indistinct path, 
and your best way lies immediately under the lowest rocky 
ground in front. Near the head of the lake you cross a 
stream and then climb to the left for Twll Du, and a little 
below it cross the stream which comes from " The Kitchen." 
Then you look up into the immense chasm, whose rocky sides 
• are between 200 and 300 feet high ; and if you turn to the 
lake you will have the best view of the moraines of Llyn 
Idwal. 

Now, If this is not your goal, you climb again, close round the 
rocks to the left of Twll Du (as you face it), and ascending by the 
side of a streamlet, which may be dry in droughty weather, reach 
the top, by a little cairn. There you turn to the right, and in a few 
minutes find the head of the Devil's Kitchen. Tou look down 
through it to Cwm Idwal below, and round you is one of the 
grandest scenes in Wales. (See page 291). Strangers should avoid 
this ascent in fog. Following upwards the stream which runs to 
the Kitchen, you find your way in a few minutes to Uyn-y-cvsn 
(about 2,200 feet). For the Glyders you ascend to the left, up a 
little hollow near Llyn-y-cwn, and then climb a grassy track ; time, 
an hour and three quarters from Ogwen to Llyn-y-cwn, and three 
quarters of an hour thence to the summit of Glyder Fawr. For 
Llanberis keep across the valley from Llyn-y-cwn towards Oarn, 
bear left for a while on the slopes of the mountain (not climbing 
them), and then cross the ridge (to the right) and keep down to a 
wall, through a gap, and immediately through or over a gate, then 
down the hill, and presently follow the path to the left to Old 
Llanberis, where you turn to the right for L I an be r is (from Ogwen 
between 7 and 8 m. ; time, 5—4 h.). 

Oft-wan to Llyn Bochlwyd and Pen-y-ft*wryd. 

Walk along the Idwal path for eight or ten minutes until you 
can easily reach the ridge in front. Then make for the stream 
which descends the ridge and climb to Cwm Bochlwyd. 
Looking along Llyn Bochlwyd (1,605 feet) you see the pre- 
cipitous face of Glyder Fach, and Tryfan rises on the left. In Cwm 
Bochlwyd, again, the signs of glacial action are abundant. 
Ramsay calls it " one of the wildest valleys in North Wales," 
and he points out the numerous moraine heaps at the upper end 
of the lake, formed of angular blocks of stone. Bochlwyd is said to 
derive its name from a bwch Uwyd, or grey buck, which, after a very 
long run from some distant district, being hard pressed by the 
hounds, finally jumped over the precipice into Cwm Bochlwyd. 
The course of this hunt is commemorated by the names Llyn- 
y-cwn and Bwlch Cwm Cwn (the Hounds' Valley Gap), and Cwm 
Cynyddion (the Huntsmen's Valley). Pass to the left of the lake, 
walk towards its head, scale the ridge between Tryfan and Glyder, 
and find an opening in a wall just where it begins to ascend the 
phoulder of Glyder. From this point you will see your path in 
Cwm Tryfan below, indistinct in places, but running along the 
bottom of the screes, and passing a rocky mound. It will lead 
you to a grassy slope, which you ascend. The path is marked here 
and there by stones placed on the rocks, and when you reach the 
plateau above, the stones, now stuck in the turf and further on 
again ot» the rocks, will guide von to Pen-y-gwryd. After a while 
you walk on the right of a wall, which runs almost to the hotel. 



804 CARNARVON TO BEDDGELERT. Nant Mill. 

Carnarvon to 3Bebt>aelert 

By the North Wales Narrow Gaugre Railway. 

WE start by the Afon-wen line and soon see Snowdon be- 
tween the rounded Moel Eilio and Mynydd Mawr, and 
presently on the sea shore the large mound called Dinas Din- 
lie. In a little over three miles we reach Dinas Junction, and. 
change carriages. Notice the picture of the Rivals framed in 
the arch of the railway bridge. The " North Wales Narrow 
Gauge Railway " runs from Dinas to the Snowdon station at 
Rhyd-ddu (3f miles from Beddgelert), with a branch to Bryn- 
gwyn on the slopes of Moel Tryfan, which is worth travelling 
for the sake of the view. 

Tou leave the " main line " at Tryfan Junction, and should 
sit on the right-hand side of the carriages, from which you will 
have an extensive view of Anglesey, over Carnarvon Castle. Yr 
Eifl (the Rivals) and the neighbouring chain of mountains form a 
prominent and attractive object; on the Anglesey coast, near the 
entrance to the Straits, you have Llanddwyn Island and Holy- 
head Mountain is in the distance. Moel Tryfan is interesting to 
the geologist on account of its cap of post-tertiary marine deposit, 
containing shells, which shows that it must have been submerged 
in or about the glacial epoch. 

On the " main line " we soon see Snowdon rising between 
Moel Eilio (on the left) and Mynydd Mawr, and we pass along 
the course of the pretty little Gwrf ai river to Waen-fawr and 
Bettws Garmon (8 m.). From Waen-fawr onwards we follow 
the direction of the coach road from Carnarvon to Bedd- 
gelert. In the stream, which is still near us, there is good 
angling. The line winds between the river and the moun- 
tains ; and we pass the well-known spot called Nant 2f tW,with 
its waterfall and old bridge, to the left, and the bold preci- 
pices of Craig Cwm Bychan to the right. After running a 
while along the base of Mynydd Mawr (with Moel Eilio on 
the left) we reach Llyn Cwellyn, and have on our right 
Castell Cidtam (the Wolfs Castle), whence the giant Cidwm 
shot Elen's son with an arrow (see page 334). We have 
seen Aran (an outlying peak of Snowdon) during the latter 
part of our journey, and now the great mass of the moun- 
tain rises grandly before us as we approach Cwellyn 
station (10£ miles). The station is close to the Snow- 
don Ranger Hotel, frequented by anglers, who enjoy free 
trout-fishing in the lake, on which it stands. Llyn 
Cwellyn, which is 463 feet above the sea, nearly 1£ mile 
long and a third of a mile broad, is surrounded by moun- 
tains, and Mynydd Mawr (2,290 feet) can be easily ascended, 
starting by a path at the Beddgelert end of the lake. The 
view, especially of the nearer summits, will repay the toil. 
Mynydd Mawr is also called the Elephant Mountain. 



Fairies. CARNARVON TO BEDDGELERT. 305 

There is * pretty legend connected with Cwellyn Lake, which is 
told in Williams's Obtervations on the Snowdon Mountain$, published 
in 1802. The fairies were dancing one night near Llyn Cwellyn, 
when a young man, who had hidden himself in a thicket, rushed 
out and seized a beautiful fay, who, it is needless to add. 
was a lady. The rest instantly vanished, while he brought his 
prize In triumph home. After many entreaties she consented to 
become his wife on condition that, if he should ever strike her 
with cold iron, she would leave him for ever. The happy swain 
had no difficulty in entering into an engagement so easily, as he 
thought, observed. They were married, and, in course of time, a 
son and daughter appeared on the scene; but, unfortunately, one 
day, in throwing a missile at a horse, it hit his fairy wife, who 
disappeared, and for ever. Her beautiful face was never again 
beheld by mortal, but one evening these beautiful lines were 
whispered In the breeze, heard only by the bereaved husband: — 

Rhag bod anwyd ar fy mab. Oh! lest my son should suffer 
Yn rhodd rho'wch arno gob ei cold, 

dad; Him in his father's coat infold; 

Rhag bod anwyd ar liw'r can, Lest cold should seize my dar- 
Rboddwch arm bais ei mam. ling fair, 

For her, her mother's robe pre- 
pare. 

This legend is familiar in various forms to the student of myths. 

From the Beddgelert end of the lake a footpath (already 
mentioned) runs up past a farm house, and, further on, by 
the end of a reservoir, into the Nan tile Valley, and so to Nant- 
lle station (see p. 806). From the Snowdon Ranger also 
there is a mountain path to Llanberis. Ascend the Snow- 
don path (see p. 319), pass through the first gate, and, in a 
few minutes, leave the Snowdon route, and ascend a path 
which presently passes through a gate, runs to the right of 
Moel G6ch, and descends to Llanberis (see p. 290). 

As we leave Cwellyn station Garn rises well on the right, 
and before long we see Moel Hebog in front; and at one 
point we cross a picturesque ravine, and what is quite a fine 
waterfall after rain. There is a good view of the lake from 
the elevated line, and when we arrive at Snowdon Station at 
Rhyd-ddu (12$ m.) we are 630 feet above the sea, and two 
hours' walk from the summit of Snowdon. An omnibus for 
Beddgelert (3| m.) probably awaits the train. In the course 
of our drive we pass " Pitt's Head," a huge boulder with a 
remarkable representation of the heaven-born statesman 
chiseled by nature on its side, and just beyond " Pitt's Head" 
the " Beddgelert Ascent " of Snowdon begins. About three 
quarters of a mile further the words Llam Trwsgwl (the 
Clumsy Leap) on a rock are said to indicate the spot from 
which two giants once had a leaping contest, one of them 
alighting seventy-five feet away on the other side of the Col- 
wyn river, where the mark of his huge foot-step on the rock 
is still to be seen. On alighting, however, he lost his balance 
and fell back, so as to form a bridge over the Colwyn. It 

M 



806 VALE OF NANTLLE. Floating Island. 

should be added that close to the footmark is a spot called 
Llam tros Golwyn (the Leap over Colwyn), where passengers 
using a footpath crossed the stream. In another two miles 
or so we reach Bedd£?elert;and as we go there, straight 
down the valley we see the Bhinog range i# the distance, and 
Moel Hebog, looking every inch a mountain, rises on the 
right. 

By the Vale of Nantlle. 

Taking the train (p. 288) from Carnarvon to Pen-y-groes (7 m.) on 
the Afon-wen line, we change to the short line to Nantlle (8£ m. from 
Carnarvon), and there we have our way plain before us by a good 
road, half a dozen miles, to Snowdon station at Rhyd-ddu, or to 
Cwellyn station. Part of the walk is through a wilderness of slate 
quarries, which sadly mar its beauty. We pass the Nantlle Ldke$ 
(partly hidden by the slates), where the valley is a narrow amphi- 
theatre, occupied almost entirely by the lakes, and the hills rise 
in frowning preoipices on each side. We soon get a wonderfully 
fine— some think the finest— view of Snowdon; and so thought the 
Welsh painter Wilson, for it was from this valley that he took 
his celebrated picture. Some distance further, after passing a 
water-wheel on our right, if we look steadily up to the rocks on 
the right we shall see them develop, as we walk along, into a very 
respectable representation of a human figure, locally called by 
some " John Bull," and by others " Old Meredith." In another 
half-mile we come to a second wheel, where there is a group of 
cottages near a pathway running up to the left, on the left of 
Clogwyn-y-garreg (a prominent hill we have had in front all the 
way). For the Snowdon Ranger Hotel or Cwellyn station we go 
up this path, over Drws-y-coed Isaf ; but for the Snowdon station at 
Rhyd-ddu or Beddgelert, we take a more beaten road to the right, 
by Drws-y-coed Uehaf (806 feet). After we pass the wheel we as- 
cend, and looking back have a fine view along the valley to the 
sea. Soon turning a corner, another valley opens out to us, re- 
vealing a splendid view of Snowdon ; and next we see, to our left, 
Llyn-ydywarchen. a famous little sheet of water that was once a 
minor Wonder of Wales because of its Floating Island. 

In 1695 Gibson only saw a little green patch near the brink, 
" which is all the occasion of the fable of the wand'ring Island." 
Halley, the astronomer, visiting the spot a year or two after the 
editor of Camden, controverts Gibson's statement (in the Philo- 
sophical Transactions for 1698), and says he " was on board a 
floating island, as it may be called; the lake is scarce half a mile 
about, environed with a boggy, turfy soil, a piece of which, about 
six yards long and four broad, floats on the water, having broad- 
spreading fungous roots on its sides, the lightness of which buoys 
it up. It was driven on the lee-shore, but I launched it off and 
swam it, to be satisfied it floated." Wilson took this lake and 
island as the subject of one of his pictures, and of it the following 
story is told : — ** The artist was for a long time puzzled how to give 
a notion of the phenomenon in a painting, but at length he con- 
quered the difficulty by depicting a man standing on the island in 
the act of wafting it nearer the shore with the aid of a long staff." 

Leaving the lake (on our left) we pass through a farm yard, and 
in a mile reach Rhyd-ddu. The mountain scenery all round us is 
very fine, and below us, to our right, we have Llyn-y-gader, where 
there is fishing. For the railway station, when the village is ap- 
proached, a bic corner can be cut off by taking a footpath. 

A. longer walk from Rhyd-ddu leads in 13 miles to Criccieth. 
Turning to the right from the station, and soon to the left by the 



Distances. BEDDGELERT. 907 

footpath, we reach the road to Drws-y-eoed, and then take a track 
which runs on the right of Llyn-y-gader, crosses the ridge, and 
descends into the valley of the Dwyior, and so to Llanfihangel-y- 
pennant in 7$ miles. (See page 105, Part I.). 



3BeM>aelert. 

BICUB8ION8 AND DISTANCES. 

Pont Aberglaslyn, 1* m., Tan-y-bwlch railway station 
(different ways), about 7$ and 9, Tan-y-bwlch, 8$, 10, and 13, 
Festiniog, 11$, 13, and 16, over the hills to Tan-y-grisiau, 10, 
Portmadoc, by short cut, 6$, Llyn-y-gader, 3$, Snowdon sta- 
tion, for line to Llyn Cweflyn, Nant Mill, Carnarvon, &c, 
3|, Llyn-y-dywarchen, 4J, Nantlle station, 9J, Snowdon Ran- 
ger (Llyn Cwellyn), 5$, Nant Mill, 7, Carnarvon, 13, Dinas 
Emrys, 1$, Llyn-y-ddinas, 2, Llyn Gwynant, 4J, Pen-y-gwryd, 
7$, Pen-y-pass (Pass of Llanberis), 8i, Llanberis, 13J, Capel 
Curtg, 11$, Bettws-y-coed, 17, Round through Nanmor, be- 
tween 10 and 11, Summit of Snowdon, 6$, but 3J from a 
point on the Carnarvon road, past which the Rhyd-ddu 
omnibus runs, ascent of Moel Hebog, 1$ hour, Cnicht, 2$— 
3 h., over Hebog to Criccieth, 5—5$ hours. By the Snowdon 
coaches, Pen-y-gwryd, Llanberis, Capel Curig, Bettws-y- 
coed, Llyn Ogwen, and Bethesda can be reached. The coach 
might be taken to Pen-y-pass, Snowdon crossed to Rhyd- 
ddu, and Beddgelert reached from there by omnibus; or the 
coach to Llanberis (through the Pass), Snowdon ascended 
from there, and descent made to Rhyd-ddu or to Beddgelert. 

AT BEDDGELERT we are at one of the most romantic 
spots in North Wales, where three valleys unite — the 
Nant Colwyn, along which we have travelled in coming from 
Rhyd-ddu, the valley down which the Gwynant (properly the 
Gwynen, and anciently called the Fferlas) River runs on its 
way from Snowdon, and the Pass of Pont Aberglaslyn through 
which, now called the Glaslyn, it flows after the Colwyn has 
joined it at Beddgelert. A word as to names. The old and 
proper name of the Gwynant Valley is Nanhwynan or Nan- 
hwynen, contracted from Nant Gwynen, but, in this and other 
cases, it is more convenient to adopt the forms familiar to 
English visitors. 

Beddgelert— the Grave of Gelert, locally pronounced Baythgelart 
—is famous for its legend, which critics have dared to treat as one 
of the Aryan myths! We all know it; how Prince Llewelyn missed 
his favourite hound when out hunting ; how, when he returned, he 
met the dog covered with blood, and going indoors saw his son's 
cradle upset; how, forthwith, the chieftain did a very foolish 
thing, to wit, jumped to a conclusion and slew the dog. The 
legend first occurs in print in the second edition of Edward 
Jones's Musical and Poetical Reticles of the Welsh Bards, published in 
1794, and Edward Jones seems to have got the story from Mr. 
Pritchard, the then landlord of the " Goat," who erected the 
present stone on the grave. It was in 1800 that Spencer, who then 
visited Beddgelert, wrote his well-known ballad. The tale cer- 
tainly seems an old one in Wales, and Mr Jacobs points out that a 
greyhound in a cradle is given in a 15th-century MS. as the crest 



&08 BEDDGELERT. Kill-hart, 

for the Principality. But the older local story of Gtelert or Kill- 
hart is preserved in a MS. dated 1582, certainly belonging to and 
probably written by Sir John Wynn of Gwydir. We are there told 
that the Princess Joan, natural daughter to King John and 
wife to Llewelyn ap Iorwerth (p. 264) brought with her from Eng- 
land a noble staghound called Kill-hart. On one 1st of August, 
after a long chase of a noted stag, hound and quarry, the former 
fatally wounded by a horn-thrust, together lay down to die. 
Whereupon the Princess, deeply sorrowing for her favourite, had 
him buried here " in a grassy grave in the valley where he fell," 
the huntsmen's horns, instead of their usual merry notes, sound- 
ing a melancholy dirge over his remains. Nor did Kill-hart, any 
more than Byron's dog, lack his votes setter: there was a poet pre- 
sent who wrote an englyn (well known In Wales) about the hound 
and his burial here. An etymological difficulty arises from the 
fact that, bedd being masculine, the place should, according to the 
old Welsh rule, be called Bedd Celert, not Bedd QeUrt; the original 
word certainly did not begin with a g, as Beddgelert is spelt with 
a k in mediaeval records. But there is some reason to believe that 
bedd was once used as a feminine. Many Welsh derivations of the 
name Celert have been proposed. All are equally unsatisfactory — 
for instance, that from the Carmarthenshire St. Celer, or from an 
imaginary Irish Celert, only found in a late and apocryphal pedi- 
gree of a doubtful fifth-century personage. And Professor Rhys 
has pointed out that -rt is not a Welsh combination of letters. (See 
Mr. Joseph Jacobs's Celtic Fairy Tales, ed. 1892, pp. 259-264, for in- 
teresting details as to the two local legends and their history). 

There are several hotels and lodging houses in the village 
(130 feet), and it is a resort of anglers, who, besides the Col- 
wyn and the Glaslyn, will find many lakes in the neighbour- 
hood : Llyn-y-ddinas, Gwynant, Cwellyn, Dywarchen, and 
Llyn-y-gader ; Ffynnon-y-gwas, Llyn Gl&s, and Llyn Coch 
on the western slopes of Snowdon ; Cwm Ystrallyn, to the 
south of Hebog ; Llagi, Edno, Llyn-yr-adar, and Llyniau 
Cwn, on the hills to the north of Cnicht. All these Uyns 
have attracted the fisherman in past times, but, owing to 
poaching and other causes, some of the best angling pools 
and rivers in Wales are losing or have lost their celebrity, 
and local inquiries should be made. 

The secluded and restored little church at Beddgelert occu- 
pies the site of an ancient priory. Charters of Edward I. are 
addressed to the Prior of the House of the Blessed Mary at 
Bethkelert. All around are charming walks, which need no 
particular description. Craig-y-llan on the east of the Pass 
of Aberglaslyn, or the hills on the west, can easily be scaled ; 
and a longer ramble of ten or eleven miles may be taken 
through Nanmor. Walk about three miles on the Pen- 
y-gwryd road, past Dinas Emrys and a third of a mile 
beyond Llyn-y-ddinas ; cross a bridge over the Glaslyn, 
and ascend (avoiding a turn to the right soon after cross- 
ing the bridge) for a mile or so; then turn to the right, 
pass through Nanmor, and in three miles reach another road 
running to the right for Pont Aberglaslyn. The ascents of. 



Aberglaslyn. BEDDGELERT. 909 

Suowdon, Moel Hebog, and Cnicht are described further on. 
Llyn Cwellyn can be reached by omnibus to Rhyd-ddu and 
rail to Cwellyn station ; and from either station the Vale of 
Nantlle can be approached. From Cwellyn Llanberis can be 
reached over Bwlch-y-maescwm (p. 305). 

Another long walk may be suggested for mountaineers. From 
Rhyd-ddu first follow the route to Criccieth (p. 306), and when 
J.lyn-y-gader is passed, ascend the mountain. The climber can 
find his way over Oarnedd G6ch (2,301 feet) to Pen-y-groes or Pant- 
glas station, on the Carnarvon and Afon-wen line. Care should be 
tr.ken In choosing the way, as there are steep precipices In some 
parts of the route. It Is a fine walk. 

Past Gelert's Grave to Pont AbergJaslyn. 

Gelert's Grave is seen in a field on the left, after passing 
the Goat Hotel on the way to Pont Aberglaslyn, and can be 
reached from the village by turning down the road between 
the river and the church, and, before passing over a bridge, 
crossing a stile. A path, a short cut to Pont Aberglaslyn, 
runs over the meadow, and the grave is marked by railings. 
By the path we reach the Portmadoc road, along which we 
walk through the beautiful Pass Of Aberglaslyn to 
the Bridge. On the rocks on the left a white stone called 
the White Lady of the Pass is a conspicuous object. A 
path pn the other side of the river can be followed in return- 
ing to Beddgelert, except in time of flood, but it is neglected, 
and very awkward to negotiate in places. 

Beddgrelert to Festiniog". 

It is thirteen miles to the Tan-y-bwlch Hotel (and less than half a 
mile more to Maentwrog), and sixteen to Festiniog by the usual 
driving road, but pedestrians have the choice of two others, one of 
which is three miles, and the other about four miles and a half 
shorter. Aberglaslyn Bridge has to be crossed in any case, and the 
first two routes are the same to Pen-y-cyffiniau (about 6 m.), when 
the left turn should be taken by pedestrians, and it leads past 
Tan-y-bwlch station to the inn. For the shortest route, turn to 
the left from the carriage road, after crossing a stream, about J 
mile from Pont Aberglaslyn. We follow a pleasant, shady lane, and 
after a while cross the road running up the Nanmor Valley. Soon 
we ascend from the wooded vale to the bare mountain-side, and 
walk along a rough road to the hamlet of Croesor (5 m. from Bedd- 
gelert). In another two miles and a half, along the road, running 
on the right of Moelwyn, we reach Tan-y-bwlch station, and in 
yet another mile the inn. At Croesor the mountain walk to Fes- 
tiniog, by way of Cwm Orthin, ascends Cwm Croesor. A stream 
is crossed immediately beyond the hamlet, and then we ascend 
on the right side of the Cwm, and passing some slate quarries at 
the top of the Pass descend to Cwm Orthin Lake, go to the right of 
It, and keep on down to Tan-y-grisiau, where there Is a railway 
station (10 m. from Beddgelert). (See pp. 122, 123, Part I.). 

Portmadoc to Beddgrelert. 

Omnibuses and coaches meet some of the Cambrian Rail- 
way train* at Portmadoc in the summer time, and run to 



310 BEDDGELERT. To Pen-y-gtoryd. 

Beddgelert (7£ miles), but pedestrians can save a mile by 
walking along the old tramway which crosses the Cambrian 
line a little to the east of the station, as far as the Giaslyn 
Inn, where they join the high road, and so reach Pont Aber- 
glaslyn in five miles. Carriages pass through Tremadoc, 
beyond which is Tan-yr~alU t a name associated with Shelley, 
though his residence has disappeared. The driving and the 
walking roads are equally beautiful, and in each case the 
prominent objects in view before us are Moelwyn, with its 
round summit, and, to its left, the notable peak of Cnicht, 
often called the Sugarloaf, and sometimes the Welsh Matter- 
horn, though the comparison will chiefly commend itself to 
travellers who have never been at Zermatt. To the right 
of^Moelwyn Arenig Fawr, near Bala, with its notched peak, 
is visible. As we get well on our journey Snowdon bursts 
upon us, rising above its attendant peaks. In six miles by 
carriage road we reach the far-famed bridge over the Gias- 
lyn. No words can describe the rich beauty of this attrac- 
tive spot. The road suddenly narrows into a pass overhung 
with precipitous rocks on one side ; and the pines give quite 
an Alpine tinge to the scene. Keeping by the stream, through 
the pass, we reach Beddgelert, after seeing, in the meadows 
to our right, " the last resting-place of Llewelyn's hound." 
To Dolwyddelan over the Hill. 

The mountain path to Dolwyddelan (11—12 m.) leaves the Pen-y- 
gwryd road half a mile or more beyond Llyn Gwynant, where 
a path crosses the highway. It runs up into a wood, soon bends 
to the left, and in three or four minutes bends to the right, and 
near the head of the pass runs through a gap in a wall. The views 
in ascending are unusually fine. After crossing the summit of 
the ridge the path, in descending, bears to the left, and then runs 
over a very boggy morass, not to be recommended (see p. 243). It 
is better at the summit to turn to the left along Cribiau to Bwlch 
Rhiw 'r Ychain (see pp. 296, 297). Take a good map and do not 
start late in the afternoon. 

Through Nant Gwynant to Pen-y-g-wryd. 

To enjoy the most attractive approach to Snowdon to the 
end, when we have crossed the Colwyn bridge in coming from 
Portmadoc the road to the right should Be taken. Soon 
after we start the summit of Moel Siabod is seen in front, 
Aran, one of the peaks of Snowdon, is on the left, and before 
we reach Llyn-y-ddinas (under two miles) we pass on the same 
side the wooded eminence of Dinas Emrys (Ambrosius's 
Fort). 

Here, legend says, Vortigern, of infamous memory, temporarily 
retired for security against the invading English, and Ambrosius 
(afterwards called Merlin), whose blood was oadly wanted, in ac- 
cordance with a once common superstition, to sprinkle the founda- 
tion of the dinas or citadel, turned the tables on the wicked mon- 
arch by showing him (In a subterranean pool under nis pavement) 



Nani Gwynant. MOUNTAIN ASCENTS. 311 

the vision of the fell battle between the Red and White Dragons, 
typifying respectively the Welsh and English race. 

As we walk along Llyn-y-ddinas (175 feet) Cnicht is on our 
right, and looking back from the end of the lake there is a fine 
view of Moel Hebog. A little further, at a point where we 
have a glimpse of the summit of Snowdon, Dy following a road 
to the left which turns off by a chapel, we should soon pass 
the late Sir Edw. Watkin's chalet, and the mountain might 
be ascended up Cwm-y-llan by Sir Edward Watkin's path. 
On the right of the high road is Plas Gwynant, the residence 
from 1850 to 1853 of Froude, the historian, where a dis- 
tinguished company, including Kingsley, Tom Hughes, Tom 
Taylor, and F. W. Newman, sometimes met as his guests. 
We follow the high road. Crossing the bridge over the 
Gwynant, and keeping up Nant Gwynant, the lake of 
that name is reached (216 feet, and over 4 m. from Beddgelert), 
with Gallt-y-wenallt, a part of Snowdon, rising up out of the 
water ; and after we have passed it, there is a long, steep 
pull up the hill. A more charming valley than this Wales 
does not contain. At certain points we have the most 
glorious views of Aran, Lliwedd, Y Wyddfa, and Grib Goch 
(all points of Snowdon) to the left, with the Glyders before 
us ; and as we approach Pen-y-gwryd we see the little river 
Gwynant rushing down from its source in the bosom of Snow- 
don, in the falls of Cwm Dyli ; and on our right several little 
cascades. A fine view of Snowdon is gained a few minutes 
before the inn at Pen-y-g:wryd is reached (p. 293). 



MOUNTAIN ASCENTS. 

The Snowdon range extends from sea to sea, practically 
beginning in the great precipice of Penmaen-mawr and end- 
ing with the Rivals. In an irregular line running from 
N.E. to S.W., between these points, rise, in the following 
order, the great heights of Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd 
Dafydd, Tryfan, Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr, Y Wyddfa 
(the highest peak of Snowdon proper), and Moel Hebog,while 
the so-called " Rivals " (Yr Eifl), a familiar group of inferior 
altitude, stand on the shores of Carnarvon Bay. Moel Siabod, 
overlooking Capel Curig,Cnicht,in the neighbourhood of Pont 
Aberglaslyn, and Moelwyn, nearer Tan-y-bwlch, may also be 
included among the summits of the Snowdon range. By 
adding that between the Carnedds and the Glyders the road 
from Capel Curig to Bangor runs ; that the Pass of Llan- 
beris separates the Glyders from Snowdon ; and that Bedd- 
gelert lies between Snowdon and Moel Hebog, we shall en- 



312 SNOWDON. Railway. 

able the reader better to understand the position of the moun- 
tains which we are about to scale. 

The high road through Llanberis, Pen-y-gwryd, and Beddgelert, 
and past Llyn Cwellyn, runs all round the base of Snowdon, with 
the exception of a bit of country, about three miles across as the 
crow flies, on the north-west ; and the circuit is not very far short 
of thirty miles. From the highest summit, Y Wyddfa (3,560 feet), 
stretch several great ridges, which, more than anything else, give 
the mountain its Indisputable pre-eminence. The route from Llan- 
beris to the summit runs along the slope of Llechog, and, at a 
great altitude, Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (on which starts the Llyn 
Cwellyn route) stretches away westwards, to the heights of Moel 
Cynghorion, Moel Gdch, and Moel Eilio, which are conspicuous 
from Llanberis; while near the same point the ridge of Crib-y- 
ddysgyl runs east to Grib Gdch, and is prolonged to the Pass of 
Llanberis. What we may call the highest point of Crib-y-ddysgyl, 
Carnedd Ugan (3,476 feet), rises from the Llanberis path immedi- 
ately before it reaches the junction with the zig-zag path from 
Pen-y-gwryd. The ridge of Bwlch-y-maen (8.S.W.) carries the 
Beddgelert route, but soon divides into another Llechog (on which 
that route continues for some distance), and the ridge leading 
(south) to Bwlch Cwm-y-llan and the peak of Aran, near Beddgelert. 
Finally, there is the ridge of Lliwedd, which runs from Bwlch-y- 
saethau (the depression a little to the south of east of the sum- 
mit), and ends in Gallt-y-wenallt, over Llyn Gwynant. Between 
these ridges are the enormous cwms of Snowdon; to the north- 
west, Cwm Brwynog, in which Llyn Du'r Arddu lies; west, Cwm 
Clogwyn, containing Llyn Glas (nearest the summit), next Llyn 
Cdch, and then Llyn-y-nadroedd, and some distance further Llyn 
Ffynnon-y-gwas; south-west, Cwm Creigiog; south, Cwm-y-llan; 
east, Cwm Dyli, with Glaslyn, Llyn Llydaw, and Llyn Teyrn, up 
which runs the Pen-y-gwryd route; north-east, Cwm Glas, and al- 
most north, Cwm Glas Bach, communicating with the Pass of Llan- 
beris. Clogwyn-y-garnedd is the great precipice of the mountain 
immediately beneath the summit, over Glaslyn. [We adopt the 
names given on the ordnance map and familiar to English visitors: 
e.g., Bwlch-y-maen (known to some as " the Saddle "), also called 
Clawdd Cdch; and Glaslyn, although the old name was Llyn 
Ffynnon Las]. 

Caution! — Before beginning our description of the ascents, 
let us say distinctly that no stranger, at any rate, should 
climb these mountains alone in bad weather ; that mists come 
on suddenly and unexpectedly; and that they sometimes 
compel prudent climbers to halt for a considerable time. 
Furthermore, even in fine weather look to your steps ! Some- 
times a precipice suddenly bends in, and over you might walk 
while engaged in enjoying the beauties of nature. 

Snow&on. 

The Snowdon Railway. 

[Farw: Single journey up, 3s. 6d. ; down, 2s 6d. ; return, 5s.; 
half-way up, 2s.; return, 3s. 6d. (Proportional fares to other sta- 
tions). Telegraph (6d.), and telephone to summit. Trains run 
(and hotel open) from Easter to end of October. Cycles housed 
at Llanberis station for 4d]. 



nberis Path. SNOWfcOK. &1& 

first sod of a railway connecting Llanberis with the summit 
Dwdon was turned on December 15, 1894. On January 8, 1896, 
senger train ran to the summit, and there is now a regular 
3e in connection with incoming and outgoing L. & N. W. 
3. The line, which has a gauge of 2 ft. 7} in., and is 4? miles 
begins close to the high road, near the Victoria Hotel, and 
s by the Waterfall, of which there is a fine view from the 
ige windows. Higher up the mountain the pony-path is 
ed, and then the railway runs along the Llechog ridge, after 
i the pony-path is crossed again, and the line continues on 
vest of it to the terminus, Immediately below the summit 
gradients are none of them steeper than 1 in 5J (whereas ihe 
ents on the Swiss mountain railways are as much as 1 in 2), 
the sharpest curve is of 264 feet radius, which may be com- 
1 with- 100 feet radius in Switzerland. The Abt system has been 
ted in the construction of the line, the rack being composed 
lid double steel cogs, and the locomotives driven with two 
le pinions. The course of the line is carefully arranged to 
travellers, as far as possible, to the best points of view, and 
to meet the convenience of the farmers and others living on 
mountain; and there are four stopping places— 1, the Water- 
2, Hebron Chapel (about 900 feet above the sea) ; 3, Half Way 
nt 1,700 feet); 4, Glogwyn (about 2,600 feet). The seats in the car- 
>s face fore and aft, and are tilted to suit the gradients. There 
carriages to accommodate sixty and forty persons, and the 
nt is made in about 70 minutes. The engineers were Sir 
»las and Francis Fox of Westminster. The Company have se- 
el possession of the Victoria Hotel and the Fadarn Villa at 
iberis, and the hotel and refreshment rooms on the summit 
aowdon. 

The Llanberis Pony Route. 

Five miles. *Three hours. Pony, 5s. Guide, 7s.— One 
e;uide can take from four to six ponies. For a pony and 
guide across the summit to Beddgelert, £1; ditto to Pen-y- 
pass, £1. [But ponies will perhaps go out of use now the 
railway is made]. 

HE Llanberis Route, which is comparatively gradual, 
and a plain pony-path, runs for much of the way almost 
allel with the new railway. Beaching the Carnarvon road 
m the station, turn to the left, and in a few minutes to 
right, close to the Snowdon railway station and opposite 
! entrance to the Victoria Hotel, by a road which soon 
ches a wood (entered by a gate). At the top of the wood 
t house (where a turn to the right would enable the climber 
see the Llanberis Waterfall, that is to say, if the stream 
i be crossed. See page 290). The way to Snowdon still fol- 
rs the cart road, which bends to the left, and soon passes 
rough a gate ; here of two branches take the right, and a 
;le further the left. In twenty or twenty-five minutes from 
j wood, pass a little cottage on the left. Further on there 
another gate, and then it is easy going for a while. We 
'When hours are mentioned it is only intended, of course, to give 
very general notion of the time occupied, and short halts only 
e included. 



M4 SNOWDON. t Wyddfa. 

pass under the railway, about 1,450 feet above the sea, and 
when we come to a structure on the right it shows that more 
than half the journey is accomplished j and then the way is 
steeper. We may look on the right into Cwm Brwynog, 
where there is a little lake, Llyn Du 'r Arddu, and a stone 
estimated by Ramsay to weigh 5,000 tons ; of which the story 
is told, that if a man sleeps on it for a night he awakes 
either a poet or a madman. A " great stony moraine-mound 
circles round the lake," and there are other remains of 
ancient glaciers. Again we pass under the railway (about 
2,750 feetU near Clogwyn station, and a most impressive view 
is before us- the Pass of Llanberis, and the great heights 
that rise about it. Immediately below is Cwm Glas Bach. 
The way is steep again, and after a while we approach Car- 
nedd Ugan, the second summit of Snowdon (reached by a 
short climb to the left, and commanding a fine view). Soon 
there is a spring of water close to the path ; the Llyn Cwellyn 
route is seen running to the right ; and then the zig-zag path 
from Glaslyn, on the Pen-y-gwryd route, on the left. Here we 
are 3,260 feet above the sea. [In descending to Pen-y-gwryd 
take care not to leave the ridge except by the patK\. In an- 
other quarter of an hour we are at Y Wyddfa, and we shall 
probably find the summit crowded, for the average number 
of persons who ascend daily in summer is about 700, and the 
number sometimes exceeds 2,000. The railway station is a 
few yards below the summit, on which are a refreshment 
house and a little hotel, where we can pass the night to see 
(?) the sun rise in the morning. Sunrise from this spot is 
something to remember, as the huge shadow of Snowdon is 
thrown over the land, and gradually retreats before the ad- 
vance of day ; but the clouds are remarkably fond of Y 
Wyddfa, and frequently cling to her long after their human 
companions of the night have torn themselves away in dis- 
gust. Still it is well to wait, for a misty morning is often 
the beginning of a glorious day, though it is no uncommon 
thing for Y Wyddfa to remain in the embraces of the clouds 
all day long. In the summer letters, telegrams, and tele- 
phonic messages can be received and despatched. 

Y Wyddfa (in the 12th century called T Wyddfa Fawr, "the 
Great Tomb ") is now known to mean the tomb or monument, 
from a cairn of which the remains are said to be still traceable on 
the summit. The name occurs elsewhere in Wales, and our 
readers will remember the same element, gwydd, in the Welsh 
name for Mold (itself shortened from the old French Mont HavU, 
"High Mound"), Y Wyddgrug, i.e., the funereal erug or mound. The 
story is that a certain Riant called in Welsh Rhitta Gawr, and by 
?faff rey of Monmouth Tthito Gigas, was slain on Snowdon by King 
Arthur, and buried in this commanding sepulchre. [Here a com- 
mon mistake may be corrected. It has been stated more than 
once that Sir Edward Watkin " has bought Snowdon." The truth 



View. SNOWDON. 315 

is, he has bought a property on one side of Snowdon, but the 
greater part of the mountain belongs to Mr Asshelon-Smith, and 
Sir Richard Bulkeley also owns a considerable portion]. 

On the clearest days the view from Snowdon includes a corner 
of Scotland (seen so rarely, however, that we believe the ordnance 
surveyors only discovered it after a snow-fall), heights in York- 
shire and the English Lake country, and the Wicklow Mountains 
in Ireland, on the dim horizon; though these lend a charm of 
wonder rather than beauty to the picture. It is the nearer view 
that delights you; the peaks of Snowdon itself, the great summits 
that rise around, and the more distant mountains, deep valleys, 
and lakes the tourist is so fond of counting, till he fondly imagines 
he has counted them all; enormous precipices, lovely stretches of 
country far away below, and then the encircling sea, with its 
islands — the Isle of Man lies plain enough, almost to the north of 
you, and Anglesey is close at hand, with the Menal Straits and the 
Britannia Bridge— and headlands, and all the beauties of the coast- 
line that stretches away to the east and south, we are afraid to 
say how far. To your left, if you turn from the sea and look to- 
wards Capel Curig, is first of all Carnedd Ugan and the ridge of 
Crib-y-ddysgyl connecting it with Grib Goch; immediately to the 
right the ridge of Lliwedd frowning over Llyn Llydaw, and, nearer 
Beddgelert, the beautiful peak of Aran. These are prominent 
points of Snowdon; and another of its outlying peaks, Moel Eilio, 
is seen to the north of Llyn Cwellyn, the fine sheet of water on 
the west. Beyond Grib Goch you see the Glyders, and beyond the 
Glyders, Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn, the head of Try- 
fan (N.E.) peeping over the right shoulder of Giyder Fawr, and 
Pen-llithrig-y-wrach, occupying the same position with regard to 
Giyder Fach; then the coast near Rhyl, and the Clwydian range 
with the tower on Moel Fammau ; over Nant-y-gwryd, above Capel 
Curig, Moel Siabod (£.) ; in the distance, to the right of it, Moel-y- 
g am el in and Moel Forfydd, near Llangollen, and then the long 
Berwyn range, including Moel Fferna and Cader Fronwen. Look- 
ing just to the left of Lliwedd, at a considerable distance is seen 
Llyn Conwy, with Arenig Fach to the right of it, and Arenig Fawr, 
distinguished by the " notch " in its summit, seen almost in a line 
with the ridge of Lliwedd and over the " knobby " Moel Meirch, 
which rises on the other side of Nant Gwynant. Immediately to 
the right of this is the big mound of Manod Mawr (at Festiniog), 
and then, at a greater distance, are the Arans (S.E.), looking al- 
most over Llyn Conglog. Rhobell and Mosl Oflrwra are to be seen 
amongst the low hills a little further right, and, much nearer, 
Moelwyn and Cnicht are easily distinguished. Passing the mass 
of mountains from Maentwrog to Barmouth (S.) including Rhinog, 
Diphwys, and Moelfre, with Cader Idris in the background, and 
Plynlimmon seen over its eastern shoulder, we come to the sea 
coast as far as St. David's Head in Pembrokeshire; and the 
Merionethshire Traeths seem to lie just below us, with Harlech 
Castle on the left. The rounded summit of Moel Hebog rises to 
the right of Aran, the roofs of Criocieth are visible over Hebog's 
right shoulder, and then we see the sea again about Pwllheli, with 
St. Tudwal's Isles and the jutting rock, Carreg-yr-Imbill (S.W.), 
and the promontory of Lleyi*, on which rise Cam Madryn, Cam 
Boduan, and Yr Elfl. Next we look along the Nantlle Valley, with 
Mynydd Mawr to the right of it, and Garnedd Gdch to the left, 
see the Lakes, and beyond them the Wicklow Mountains in Ire- 
land (W.). Further to the right are Holyhead Mountain and Angle- 
sey, with Llyn Coron, over which Slleve Donard in Ireland is 
seen (N.W.); Parys Mountain, to the right of It the Tsle of Man (al- 
most north), and still more to the right Scawfell in Cumberland. 



316 SNOWDON. Pen-y-gwryd Path. 

The descent to Llanberis is too plain to need any addi- 
tional description. 

The Pen-y-srwryd or Capel Curls Route. 

5 miles from Pen-y-gwryd by Pig Track, 54 by Miners* 
Road, 9J from Capel Curig (Miners r Eoad) ; 2£ hours from 
Pen-y-gwryd. Pony from Pen-y-gwryd, 5s.; guide, 5s.; to 
Llanberis or Beddgelert, 5s. extra for each. Capel Curig to 
Snowdon, 10s. guide, 10s. pony. 

In starting from Pen-y-gwryd the height to be climbed is 
reduced to 2,653 feet; from Pen-y-pass, to 2,391. If you 
want to become familiar with Snowdon in its grandest aspect 
do not miss this walk. Mr. Leslie Stephen relates how, 
when he and his companions were on the Jungf rau, the patri- 
otic Morgan, " who had spoken very disparagingly of the 
Wengern Alp as compared with the scenery of Pen-y-gwryd, 
admitted that our present view was not unlike that above 
Llyn Llydaw, though, as he urged, the quantity of snow 
rather spoiled it." Round the shores of Llydaw and Glaslyn, 
and in other parts of the route, the blocs perches and roches 
moutonnees, and the striations on the rocks, testify to the 
action of the glaciers which once gave these great valleys a 
truly Alpine character. The ascent as far as Glaslyn is de- 
scribed on pp. 295, 296. There is the Miners' Road from 
Pen-y-pass all the way to within about an hour of the sum- 
mitt and you can even be driven, if you do not mind jolting, 
as far as Llyn Llydaw (1,415 feet above the sea), about 2f 
m. from the summit, or ride on a pony to the top. 

The Miners* Road is called the lower path : there is also an upper 
path known as the Pig Track. It is about half a mile shorter, and 
a more gradual ascent, it saves a third of the steep zig-zag from 
Glaslyn, and the views are grand ; but the path must be disagree- 
able after much rain, and in places it is indistinct. The path 
starts from the Miners' Road, about 300 yards from Pen-y-pass, at 
an acute angle; soon bends back, and presently runs towards the 
Pass of Llanberis. When you come in view of Llyn Peris, turn to 
the left, and passing a sandy patch, soon bear to the right ; cross- 
ing the top of the little hill, bend to the right and almost immedi- 
ately to the left, past another little sandy patch, and keep up hill, 
and at the summit, when you are in view of the precipices of 
Snowdon, you will see a narrow path running on the left slopes of 
Grib Gdch. The path takes you above Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn, 
and Anally joins the zig-zag. There is also the High Pig Track, 
starting from Pen-y-pass and joining the other. 

From Glaslyn (1,970 feet) you take the zig-zag path at the 
end of the lake — a hundred, yards beyond a row of cottages 
and opposite a grassy mound on the edge of the water, and 
mind you keep to the track. Notice-boards were erected by 
the Mining Company some time ago, to warn climbers off the 
wrong paths ; for you diverge far from the track at some risk 
of descending a mining shaft. You have a very steep ascent 



Winter Ascent. SNOWDON. 317 

of something like a mile in distance and three quarters of an 
hoar in time to the col, where the Uanberis path is joined, 
and there, suddenly, as you gain the col (3,260 feet), a view 
of wonderful beauty bursts upon you. Here you turn left, 
and reach the summit in a quarter of an hour. [A delicious 
spring of water can be found in two minutes by turning to 
the right along the Llanberis path when the col is gained]. 

It was by the Pig Track that the late Professor Tyndall and 
Professor Huxley ascended Snowdon, with a guide, on December 
28th, I860, and the former describes the ascent in a chapter added 
o his delightful " Hours of Exercise on the Alps," published by 
Longmans. We take the liberty of quoting from it: — 

" The scene was grand in the extreme. Before us were the but- 
resses of Snowdon, crowned by the conical peak; while below us 
re re three llyns black as ink, and contracting additional gloom 
rom the shadow of the mountain. The lines of weathering had 
aused the frozen rime to deposit Itself upon the rocks as on the 
sndrils of a Tine, the crags being fantastically wreathed with 
unners of ice. The summit, when we looked at it, damped our 
rdour a little; it seemed very distant, and the day was sinking 
ist. From the summit the mountain sloped downward to a col, 
hich linked it with a bold eminence to our right. At the col we 
med, and half an hour before reaching it we passed the steepest 
srtion of the track. This I quitted, seeking to cut off the zig-zags, 
it gained nothing but trouble by the attempt. This difficulty 
mquered, the col was clearly within reach; on its curve we met 
fine snow cornice, through which we broke at a plunge, and 
ined safe footing on the mountain rim. The health and glad- 
>ss of that moment were a full recompense for the entire journey 
to Wales. We went upward along the edge of the cone, with the 
►ble sweep of the snow cornice at our left. The huts at the top 
$re all cased In ice, and from their chimneys and projections 
e snow was drawn into a kind of plumage by the wind. The 
ystals had set themselves so as to present the exact appearance 
feathers, and in some cases these were stuck against a common 
is, so as accurately to resemble the plumes in soldiers' caps, 
was three o'clock when we gained the summit. Above and be- 
ld us the heavens were of the densest grey ; towards the wes- 
n horizon this was broken by belts of fiery red, which, nearer 
; sun, brightened to orange and yellow. The mountains of 
nt shire were flooded with glory, and later on, through the gaps 
the ranges, the sunlight was poured in coloured beams, which 
ild be tracked through the air to the places on which their 
lance fell. The scene would bear comparison with the splen- 
irs of the Alps themselves." 

"he ascent, one can see, in such circumstances, would be 
°nded by danger to any one save a practised Alpine 
nber. 

Dr the descent to Pen-y-gwryd it is only necessary to say that 
I.lanberis pony path is followed for eight or ten minutes until 
ith is seen on the r!&ht. Be sure not to begin the descent ex- 
t by a path. Follow this down to Glaslyn, and then there is a 
i all the way to Pen-y-pass. If the Pig Track is preferred, it 
s to the left when you have accomplished about two-thirds of 
descent to Glaslyn; and beyond Llyn Llydaw beware of going 
much, to the lejt. In descending, the Miners' Road is better.- 



818 SNOWDON. Bhyd-ddu Path. 

The Beddgelert and Rhyd-ddu Route. 

The paths unite not very far from the high road. Distance from 
Rhyd-ddu, 33 — 4 miles, from Beddgelert, 6£ altogether, but about 3} 
from a point on the high road which is passed by the brake from 
Beddgelert to Rhyd-ddu. Guide from Beddgelert, 7s. 6d. ; pony, 
10s.; to Llanberis or Pen-y-gwryd, guide, 10s., pony, 12s. Time 
from Rhyd-ddu, about 2 hours. Ascent from Beddgelert, 3,430 
feet; from Rhyd-ddu, 2,930 feet. 

The Beddgelert Route leaves the Carnarvon road immedi- 
ately before Pitt's Head Bock is reached (2f m.). It runs to 
the right between the buildings of Ffridd Uchaf farm, keeps 
straight on, to the left of a streamlet, and by the side of a 
shallow depression in the ground, and continues in a north- 
north-easterly direction, between 200 and 300 yards to the 
left of the little Colwyn River. About a third of a mile from 
the farm the course of the river turns to the east, but the 
route runs straight on, and in 300 or 400 yards more unites 
with the Bhyd-ddu Route near some rocks. 

The Bhyd-ddu Route has become a favourite one now there 
is a railway station (Snowdon station :see p. 305). The descent 
to Rhyd-ddu, however, is to be preferred, as affording the 
finest views ; and many people will travel to Llanberis 
station, climb from that side, and return home by Rhyd-ddu. 
At Snowdon station you see the summit of Snowdon by look- 
ing along a wall running up the shoulder of the mountain a 
good way above you. The path you have to take runs through 
this wall, first to the left and then to the right ; and to the 
right of the wall you can see the path. Start by the mining 
road which crosses the railway a few score yards towards 
Carnarvon, and runs to the right of a little tower. Follow 
the mining road (avoiding a turn to the left which seems to 
run in the direction of Snowdon) until you pass through an 
iron gate near a refreshment house (20 min. from the station), 
with rocks on the left immediately beyond it, and then, close 
to the rocks, you find the Beddgelert route crossing the road. 
Here you turn left on to the Beddgelert path, which passes 
through a gap in a wall, and in three or four minutes through 
another wall, and winds among the rocks, and then runs on 
to and through an opening in a wall close to a sheep-fold, 
The track continues straight across comparatively level 
ground and ascends a rocky eminence to another refresh- 
ment house, immediately beyond which there is a well. Soon 
the path passes through the wall we saw from below (2,004 
feet), and nearly half your climb is accomplished. Then 
bending round, the path again passes through the wall (2,461 
feet), and on up the shoulder of Llechog. As you walk along 
the shoulder you mav look down the precipices into Cwm 
Clogwyn, admiring the vast sweep of the great mountain 



Owdlyn PatK. SftOWDON. 8l& 

hollow, dotted with lakes, and observing the line of debris 
shed by the ancient glaciers between Llyn Coch and Llyn- 
y-nadroedd ; and the immense boulder, Maen Bras (of which 
Ramsay gives a sketch), which could scarcely have been 
brought here by any other locomotive agent than moving or 
floating ice. The stone is near a wall which crosses the cwm, 
and is easily recognized. There will now be no difficulty in 
finding your way to the summit, for the path is a plain one. 
From the shoulder it bends to the left, and soon passes along 
the narrow ridge of Bwlch-y-maen (3,080 feet). A good deal 
has been said about Bwlch-y-maen, and the fear which it has 
inspired in timid minds, but any one who is afraid to walk 
along a ridge seven or eight feet wide ought to remain on the 
broad expanse of earth at the foot of the mountain. 

The de$cent to Rhyd-ddu or Beddgelert starts S.S.W. from the 
cairn, crosses the narrow ridge of Bwlch-y-maen, and afterwards 
bends to the right, and then runs along the ridge of Llechog (over- 
looking Cwm Clogwyn on the right), passes through a wall, bends 
round and passes through the wall again, passes a refreshment 
house, and soon bears to the right across comparatively level 
ground, and through an opening in a wall close to a sheep-fold. 
After this the path winds among the rocks and afterwards reaches 
a green road. Here you cross the road and keep along the path 
for Beddgelert, or turn to the right along the road for Bhyd-ddu. 
The view as you descend is impressive ; the mountains rise grandly 
in front, and in the distance the Rivals and the sea add a charm 
to the picture. 

The Llyn Cwellyn Route. 

This route, usually called the Snowdon Banger Route (about 
4 miles, and about two hours), has a railway station for its 
starting-point, it has the advantage of taking you almost 
into the great hollow of the mountain, and it is one of the 
easiest ascents ; but after rain the path in places, it must be 
confessed, is watery. A few yards on the Carnarvon side of 
the railway station (which is close to the Snowdon Banger 
Hotel) turn up to a farm, soon after passing the house turn 
to the right, and then a broad green track zig-zags up the 
hill. At a good height pass through a gate, and, in half an 
hour from the start, through another gate, where the path is 
indistinct, but you make for the left shoulder of Snowdon 
seen over the gate. After a little while the path is distinct 
again, and it runs rather to the left, avoiding the low, boggy 
ground. Notice the great stone on the right, Maen Bras 
(mentioned above). You follow a well-defined path to the 
shoulder (Clogwyn Du 'r Arddu), which is ascended by a 
zig-zag, Llyn Ffynnon-y-gw&s being near you below. ^ Soon 
you look down on the Llanberis side, see the Britannia 
Bridge gleaming white in the distance, and as you rise, 
catch glimpses of the sea in several places, and of the Llan- 
beris lakes below. Finally you cross the railway and join 



320 THE GLYDERS. Two Yean Ago. 

the Llanberis path close to the junction with the path from 
Pen-y-gwryd. 

For the descent, we need only say that the path turns to the left 
from the Llanberis path about ten minutes' walk from the summit, 
and near the beginning of the descent to Pen-y-gwryd. 

Sir Edward Watkin's Path and the 
Gladstone Rock. 

A path to the summit of Snowdon (4 hours; 7£ m. from Bedd- 
geleit, or 4J m. from the high road) was constructed by the late Sir 
Edward Watkin. About half a mile from Dinas Lake, on the Bedd- 
gelert and Pen-y-gwryd road, turn left by a chapel, and presently 
pass tihrough the grounds of the late Sir E. Watkin's house. The way 
runs along the hill-side, parallel with the road to Pen-y-gwryd for 
a little way, and then turns up to the left, with a stream below on 
the right. [Coming from Pen-y-gwryd, soon after leaving Llyn 
Gwynant, reach the little village of Glanaber. From there follow 
the telephone posts, crossing two streams by stepping stones, and 
then keep on the left of a wall to some farm buildings. Pass 
through them and up to the road]. The walk for a time Is easy, 
and the stream falls in several cascades in a beautiful ravine. The 
stream is crossed, a house is passed, and in a few minutes we see 
on our left a rock with a path running up to it. The rock has an 
inscription in Welsh and English telling us that Mr. Gladstone, 
when 83 years old (it should be 82), here delivered an address to 
the Snowdonians, on Sept. 13, 1892. When some slate quarries are 
reached the easy road ends, and Sir Edward Watkin's Path begins, 
running to the right over the slate works. From here the path is 
too plain to need directions, and Aran rises grandly on the left ; but 
the way is rough and cannot be recommended, at any rate for the 
descent. From the slate works we ascend the shoulder of Lliwedd, 
and when the ridge of Bwlch-y-saethau is reached, by diverging 
a little to the right we can look down to Llydaw and Glaslyn — an 
impressive view, with the summit of Snowdon rising over Glaslyn. 
To this point Mr. Gladstone climbed in September, 1892. From 
the ridge the path ascends sharply to the summit. 

Descending, follow carefully the path which, starting behind the 
Summit Hotel, first bends to the right and presently to the left, and 
is plain as far as the slate works ; there turn left by a green road, 
and when Sir E. Watkin's house is approached, with the Gwynant 
Valley below, if you are bound for Pen-y-gwryd your path turns to 
the left, down to the stream, reaches some farm buildings, follows 
telephone posts, and by stepping-stOnes over two streams reaches 
the road, where you turn to the left. For Beddgelert you follow 
the mountain road past the late Sir Edward Watkin's house to the 
high road, and then turn to the right. 

Other ascents of Snowdon, by unfrequented routes, will be 
found in the Traveller's Edition of the Guide. 



Ube (Bikers ant> Zvyfan. 

It was up the Glyders, as our readers will remember, that Vava- 
sour rushed on that stormy night mentioned in " Two Years Ago," 
in which Charles Kingsley pleasantly describes " Harry Owen " 
and his family at Pen-y-gwryd Inn, where they continued for 
many years. Kingsley, Tvitb allowable licence, mixes up Glyder 
Fawr and Glyder Fach. Glyder Fach rises behind the Inn, and 



lev. THE aLYDE&S. B21 

ummlt is about a mile (or f h.) from Glyder Fawr, and a walk 
hour or so from the top of Tryfan. A more remarkable group 
immits could scarcely be found In Great Britain, but from 
•oad at Pen-y-gwryd the Glyders look comparatively common- 
3. On the northern side their immense precipices front the 
tator, and from the best view-points, say from the slopes of 
edd Dafydd, they are as fine as anything in Wales. 

;ent from Pen-y-gwryd and Descent of 
Tryfan to Ogwen. 

Glyder Fach (3,262 feet), IV— 2 hours; Glyder Fawr (3,279 
eet), 2 hours; ascent of Tryfan (3,010 feet), 2J hours. Pen- 
-gwryd, 907 feet above the sea. 

•om the inn you see the lofty crags of Glyder Fach 

ediately above you ; but it is rather arduous work going 
ight at the summit, and you would probably come across 
imber of "nasty leg-breaking holes, covered with hea- 
," which are too common, by the way, all about here. 

best course is to make for a wall up to the right, follow 
11 it takes a sharp turn eastward, and then go east of 
h to the secondary summit, double to the left behind th« 
s you have seen from below, and so to the highest point. 

Tryfan see pages 322, 323. 

e will take a longer route, including the three moun- 
s. Passing through the first gate on the Llanberis road, 
make our way, on the right of a little eminence called 
1 Berfedd, in about a mile to Llyn Cwm Ffynnon 9 round 
ih we pass to the left, and on through one of the most 
irkable collections of " glacier stones in Wales. From 
llyn we make for the shoulder of Glyder Fawr v and 
ping rather on the right of it, after a long, stiff pull a 
3 piece of rock, looking something like a cairn, comes in 
it. When it is reached we see the cairn on the summit 
e at hand. What a view ! 

>el Hebog rises In the background, beyond Snowdon, and, 
ylng your eye to the right, you see Mynydd Mawr and Moel 
d, look down the pass to Llanberis, and away to Carnarvon/ 
i its Castle standing boldly out. Anglesey lies like a map be- 

you, with the Menai Straits on this side, and Holy Island, and 
water between, on the other. Still further to the right Nant 
neon discloses Penrhyn Castle near the sea shore, and Beau- 
is beyond; below yon, on that side, at this end of the vale, is 
i Ogwen, with Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn, and 
zwy Lake to the right of it. Further to the right, near the sea, 
lysfaen (white) telegraph station, and then the opening of the 
i of Clwyd. Immediately underneath is Llyn Idwal, and to the 
it of that the fantastic head of Tryfan, crowned with two 
ies; and then, completing the circle, you see in succession 
il Fammau and the Clwydian range, Moel-y-gamelin, the Ber- 
ts, the Arenigs, the Arans, the Manods, Rhobell Fawr, Moel 
wch and the Ganllwyd valley, and Cader Idris beyond, Cnicht, 

Rhinog range, Harlech Castle and the sea, and the viaduct 
r Portmadoc. On a clear day Ireland, the Isle of Man and the 
mtains of the English Lake Dlstict are seen. 



322 TRYPAN. From GUyddh. 

We might make a deteent, carefully choosing our way, first to tfre 
west, then down a grassy slope, and then by a little hollow, to the 
top of Twll Du (Devil's Kitchen) passing Llyn-y-cwn (the " Lake 
of the Hounds ") to our left, and noting a small stream that runs 
from that tarn through the Kitchen. From a point some distance 
to the right of the Kitchen a descent could be made to Llyn Idwal 
and Llyn Ogwen. (See page 291). 

Our course from Glyder Fawr is easterly, along almost 
level ground to Glyder Fa.ch 9 the lowest point being 
about 3,000 feet high. The distance is about a mile, but 
walking among the rocks of Glyder Fach is so difficult, that 
in time it will be something like three quarters of an hour. 
The table-land between Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach looks 
in places almost as if it had been paved, and when the lesser 
Glyder is reached we find ourselves among fantastic rock- 
work such as is seen, we suppose, nowhere else in the Prin- 
cipality — the huge pinnacles and "obelisks," and natural 
" cromlechs," which astonished Pennant so much and are 
the wonder of every traveller who visits them. Castell-y- 
gwynt and the Sentinel (close to it) are especially remark- 
able. The Castell, which is at the junction of the two 
Glyders, can be seen, it is said, from Bangor and Beaumaris, 
and even from Cader Idris. The Castell is sometimes mis- 
taken for the summit and climbed in vain — except, indeed, 
to see its extraordinary rockwork ! The summit is a little 
way beyond it, and reached by climbing over immense stones. 

Glyder stands for Y Gluder, from cludair or cluder, "a heap or pile" 
(cludo, " to heap *•), and though not specially used for heaps of 
rocks in Wales, this ancient British word is currently used in 
Dartmoor, under the form of clitter or clatter, for the streams of 
granite blocks that often litter the sides of the hills. Sir Walter 
Scott also speaks of the " glidders grey " in the Shepherd's Tale— 

And still beneath the cavern dread, 

Among the glidders grey, 
A shapeless stone with lichens spread 

Marks where the wanderer lay— 

this Border word being, like many others, a survival from the 
Welsh once spoken in those parts. 

Proceeding on our way to Tryf an, we keep to the south- 
east from the summit of Glyder Fach, descending to the 
plateau, from the edges of which we look down (left) into 
Cwm Tryfan. Keep alone the ridge to a grassy slope de- 
scribed on page 297, and follow the path to the ridge between 
Glyder and Tryfan. Then walking along the ridge and to 
the left of the first rocky eminence, when we reach the cone 
of the mountain a stony way up among the rocks will be seen. 
Follow it and presently climb the rocks to the summit. Be- 
ware of a precipice on the right immediately before the sum- 
mit is reached. It is rock climbing, but not difficult, and at 
the top we enjoy a glorious prospect. The summit of Snow- 



nest Ascent. GLYDERS. 323 

peers over the ridge between Glyder Fawr and Glyder 
i ; Cader Idris and Arenig are included in the view. 

e two stones on Tryfan have often been mistaken for men, and 
Bixigley, who made the tour of the country in 1798 and 1801, 
: — " A gentleman of my acquaintance related to me some par- 
Lars of his journey, and, among other things, told me that, 
.ng passed through Nant Frangon a little way, he observed on 

top of one of the mountains two men that seemed very 
lestly engaged in admiring the country. He said that although 
.vent on very slowly, and was constantly looking back at them, 

an intervening rock shut them from his sight, yet they still 
i ained In the same position. This story was told so seriously 
t it was not without difficulty I could keep my countenance to 
ir it to the end, and, even when I had, I could scarcely per- 
ide him that his men were nothing but blocks of stone.". Bing- 

was much impressed with the weird grandeur of the place, 
i it took his breath away to see his companion jumping from 
e of the stones to the other. None of our readers, let us hope, 
11 be silly enough to repeat a leap that might save them the 
il of the descent! 

in descending we return at first by the way we have come, and, 
r Llyn Ogwen, when the point is reached where we started up 
e stony way, we keep down into Cwm Bochlwyd, from which 
Le route to Ogwen is described on page 297. At Ogwen, Capel 
arig is 5$ miles off, Pen-y-gwryd (by road), 9$, Bethesda station, 
f. Instead of descending as far as Ogwen, a little way below Cwm 
ochlwyd we might keep to the left to Llyn Idwal, and return 
5 Pen-y-gwryd by the Pass of Llanberis (p. 303). 

Ascent from Llyn Ogwen. 

This is the finest ascent of the Glyders. Time to Glyder 
Fawr, about 2 hours; Glyder Fach, a little more; Tryfan, 
about 1J hour. Ogwen Cottage, 993 feet above the sea. 
The ascent of Tryfan from here needs little description 
In addition to what we have said of the descent. Having 
reached Cwm Bochlwyd (page 303), we scale Tryfan, bearing 
rather to the right of the summit, and we may find the stony 
way described on p. 322. Other ascents of Tryfan are made, 
but are scarcely fit for description in a popular guide. 

For the Glyders, from Ogwen Cottage follow the Idwal 
path (to the right of the cottage) until it is near the emin- 
ence which faces you as you ascend, and the path runs to the 
right for the lake. Then cross to this eminence and ascend 
U. Beaching the summit of the eminence, you see Llyn Boch- 
lwyd below, turn to the right, and, soon turning to the left, 
scale the ridge which runs up to the Glyders, on the west of 
Llyn Bochlwyd. In the final ascent keep on the right side — 
the left is almost perpendicular — and be careful. You will 
find a track some distance below the summit of the ridge 
and then ascending gradually to it above some screes which 
run down towards Cwm Idwal. Arrived at the level, turn 

left for Glyder Fach, and right for Glyder Fawr. 

There is another ascent of the Glyders from Ogwen, and though 
it is not so interesting it takes the climber to a point above TwU 
Du, one of the grandest views in Wales (p. 303). 



324 ELIDYR FAWR. T Garn. 

Other Routes. 

The Glyders can be ascended by the long ridge of Cefn-y- 
capel, which runs up from Capel Curig, but it is a tiresome 
walk and not to be recommended. It is best, perhaps, to 
start near Pont-y-garth, pass immediately above a little farm 
embosomed in trees, and gradually climb to the plateau at the 
foot of Glyder Fach. The ascent from Llanberis is described 
on pages 291, 903. 

The descent* of the Glyders need no description in addition to 
what has been said of the ascents, and of the way down to Llyn-y- 
cwn and Idwal (page 322). But great caution must be exercised 
In descending on the Ogwen side by either of the routes, and they 
should be scrupulously avoided In foggy weather. On the Ogwen 
side the Glyders are very precipitous, and we can conceive of 
climbers who achieve the ascent by the ridge between Bochlwyd 
and Idwal feeling somewhat nervous in descending. 



IS (Barn. 

Gam (3,104 feet) Is the mountain which rises to the right 
of Llyn Idwal as the spectator faces Twll Du. The time of 
ascent from Ogwen is about two hours; from Llanberis, 
about three. 

Garn can be ascended from Llyn Idwal, starting up by a 
stream near the Ogwen end of the lake to Cwm Clyd, in 
which are two little tarns, and then by the shoulder on the 
right of the cwm. From Garn it is a fine walk over Foel GSch, 
and then to the left up the ridge to Elidyr Fawr. The walk 
is strongly to be recommended ; but the mountaineer, who is 
apt to be absorbed in the beauties about him, should be 
warned that in keeping near the edge he reaches one point, 
between Garn and Foel G6ch, where the ridge suddenly 
bends in, and it would be comparatively easy to take the next 
step into space. The ascent from Llanberis is described on 
page 291, as far as the shoulder of Garn, and up this shoulder 
we climb to the summit. 



JEU&gr Jfawr anb JEUbsr Jfacb* 

Elidyr Fawr (3,029 feet) is the mountain which rises be- 
tween Llyn Perls and Nant Ff ran con. On one side are the 
slate quarries of Llanberis; on the other, on a spur called 
Bron Llwyd, are the Penrhyn Quarries at Bethesda. The 
time of ascent from Llanberis is 2J— 3 hours-, from Bethes- 
da, about 3J hours. From some points, to the north-east, 
Elidyr presents the appearance of a noble peak, and at a 
distance it is sometimes mistaken for Snowdon. 

From Llanberis. 

Reaching the Carnarvon road from Llanberis station, turn 
to the left, and in three or four minutes to the left again, 
cross a bridge between. t,ae lakes, and almost opposite the 



Worn Bethesda. ELIDYR FAWR. 325 

Ige (and near the entrance to the quarries) pass through 
lrnstile to a path which ascends steeply between walls, 
ises a tramway by a bridge and then ascends straight on 
)ugh a wood. After a while a hamlet is reached, and 
sre there is a chapel ahead follow a path running up over 
Late bank on the right. Take the right fork where the 
h divides, and again the right fork, pass near the edge 
he quarry, then bear left, cross a stile, and another stile 
oining it, to the right, ascend near a wall, and then make 

the summit. The path runs over one slaty mound and 
q another, after which there is a long grassy slope, where 
3 easier to keep up the stones on the left. There are two 
rns on Elldyr Factl (2,564 feet), and we shall probably 
ke the top of the hill between them. From the cairn to 

right we take our bearings. We see the large cairn on 
idyr Fawr to the extreme left of the ridge above us, 
I it is an easy walk there of twenty or twenty-five minutes, 
ending first over the screes and then for a little way, which 
tiresome, among large stones. The view from Elidyr 
nt is remarkable for the fine amphitheatre of rock which 
sents itself as we turn our backs on the sea — the great 
cipices of Grib 66ch and Crib-y-ddysgyl on Snowdon, the 
rders further to the left, and Craig-yr-hysfa on the other 
e of Nant Ffrancon. In contrast, we have a placid green 
ley close below us on one side, and two lakes, Marchlyn 
wr and Marchlyn Bach, on the other. The prospect is 
ensive and impressive. [The descent to Llanberis will 
tily be found after this description of the ascent]. 

From Bethesda. 

Trom Bethesda Elidyr can be ascended by the ridge of Bron 
yyd which runs up from the Penrhyn Slate Quarries, but 
Is better to start by the coach road through Nant Ffran- 
a, about a mile from the town cross a bridge over the 
wen, and walk along an old road as far as a farm marked 
%es Caradoc on the ordnance map, nearly opposite a white 
use, Ty Gwyn, on the coach road about 3£ m. from Bethesda 
ition. Immediately beyond the house, ascend Cwm Bual, 
wn which a stream comes ; when a more level part is 
iched, bear to the left. Keep up the left side of the cwm, 
d towards the top bear left to find an easy way to the 
Ige. Then keep straight across to the ridge on the right, 
d so ascend carefully to the summit of Elvdyr Fawr. Care 
ist be taken in choosing the cwm to ascend from Nant 
rancon ; some of them are very precipitous. 

n the &e$cent for Bethesda we make our way lor the green slope 
fore ns, and soon pass down a somewhat narrow ridge (which 
ops ahruptlv JMq liarchiyn Mawr on the left), twit *t is safe and 



826 CARNEDD DAFYDD. From Capel Curig. 

easy, and persons troubled with giddy heads can keep on the right 
of the ridge. Where the ridge ascends again towards Mynydd Per- 
fedd, instead of climbiog it keep along the slopes to the ridge in 
front overlooking Nant Ff ran con, and there find a wide green val- 
ley (Cvm Buai) to descend. [In descending to Nant Ffrancon it la 
important to avoid some of the cwms, whose sides are precipitous]. 
The precipices of Foel Ooch rising to a wedge-like peak on the 
right are very fine. If we have struck the ridge at a point where 
it is a steep descent Into Cwm Bual, we may find an easier way 
down to this cwm a few steps nearer Foel Gdch. First keeping on 
the right slope of the cwm, when the end of the comparatively 
fiat upper part is reached we bear left and descend to a farm 
(Maes Caradoe). Here, if we turn left, we shall after a while find 
a bridge to carry us over into the coach road, and turn left for 
Bethesda station, which is reached in about two hours from the 
summit. [A little to the right of Maes Caradoe we should have 
found a path crossing the vale to Ty Gwyn on the coach road]. 



Carne&t) Xlewclsn ant> Carnet>t> 2>af£t>fc* 

Carnedd Llewelyn (3,484 feet), the highest summit in Wales next 
to Snowdon, was ascended as early as 1639 by Johnson the natural- 
ist, whose guide refused to take him to the steep parts where the 
rare plants grew, because of the eagles. Carnedd Dafydd (3,426 
feet), which is connected with Llewelyn by Bwlch Cyfrwy Drum, 
the ridge dividing Cwm Llugwy from Cwm Pen Llafar, stands 
nearer to Llyn Ogwen, and is continued to the shores of that lake 
by a shoulder called Braich Du. From several points of view these 
lofty mountains present a comparatively uninteresting appear- 
ance, but they rise in magnificent precipices from some of the cwms 
which partly surround them. The easiest ascent is from the 36th 
milestone on the Holyhead road; but the finest approach is from 
Bethesda. An excursion greatly to be recommended is the ascent 
of Carnedd Dafydd from the 36th milestone, and a continuation of 
the walk over Llewelyn to the coast. The walk is much finer in 
this direction than the reverse. 

Ascent from Capel Curig and Descent to 
Aber or Llanfalr-fechan. 

Ascent of Carnedd Dafydd from the 36th milestone, 1&—-2 
hours, Carnedd Llewelyn, 2— 2J hours, from C. Dafydd over 
Llewelyn to Aber or Llanfair-fechan, 4 — 4J" hours, from C. 
Llewelyn to the sea, 3— 3J hours. It is best, as the walk is 
long, to drive to the 36th milestone by coach or car. The 
height of the starting-point is 1,020 feet; the height to be 
ascended— 2,406 to C. Dafydd, 2,464 to C. Llewelyn. 

Three miles and three furlongs along the Bangor road from 
Capel Curig, just after crossing the Llugwy, a track runs to 
the right to Glan Llugwy Farm. We follow this track for a 
little way and then cross to some rocks and climb to the left 
of them. The most direct way to Carnedd Dafydd is 
up the slopes of the mountain bearing a little to the left, 
and then up the rocks, when we shall find the great cairn on 
the summit, a little to the left (from the road about 2£ m.)« 

We look down Cwm Fen Llafar (N.W.) to Bethesda, Penrhyn 
Castle, Bangor, and the Straits, the sea, and Puffin Island, the fine 
peak of Elldyr rises to the left of Bethesda and, carrying the eye 



f iew. fcABNEDb LLEWELYN. 32fr 

he left, we see the Rivals on the coast, Mynydd Mawr, Garnedd 
h, Gam, Bnowdon, the Glyders and Trylan (a noble group), 
er Idris, the Arans, Moel Siabod, Arenig, the long range of the 
wyn, Moel-y-gainelln, and other hills about Llangollen, Moel 
omau. Carnedd Llewelyn, of course, Is close to us, with Llwyd- 
r to the left of it, then the peak of Penmaen-mawr, the rocky 
as, Drosgol, and Moel Wnion. As from all these great Snow- 
iian heights, the English Lake District, the Isle of Man, and 
Land are sometimes visible. 

•"or Carnedd Llewelyn, we go to the east, along the lofty 
ge of Cefn Ysgolion Duon, to a point which we shall reach 
our direct ascent of Llewelyn. It is a grand walk, and 
diverging to the left we have an impressive view into Cwm 
n Llafar. Another view to he seen from various points of 
rnedd Dafydd, the mighty cone of Tryfan, the precipices 
the Glyders, and the blue lakes of Ogwen, Idwal, and Boch- 
yd, is a picture to he remembered ! 

For the direct ascent of Carnedd Llewelyn follow 
3 track to Glan Llugwy farm, and a little way beyond it 
mb to the left of the rocks, and having gained the great 
issy slopes of the mountain, make for the shoulder which 
seen running up on the right. After climbing for some 
ae Llyn Llugwy will be seen on the right, and at length we 
ich a point where the ridges of Cefn Ysgolion Duon (Black 
idders Ridge) and Bwlch Cyfrwy Drum (Saddle-back Pass) 
tite. By the former we could go (to the left) to Carnedd 
if ydd ; we go to Carnedd Llewelyn along the latter. We cross 
vlch Cyfrwy Drum (3,061 feet) — on the top, as we may say,of 
zreat mountain wall, dividing Cwm Llugwy, in which we see 
lyn Llugwy, from Cwm Pen Llafar. The Black Ladders 
e particularly fine, on our left. Then we climb straight 
) to the cairn. [The walk from Carnedd Dafydd to Car- 
idd Llewelyn (lowest point, 3,061 feet high) is a couple of 
iles, and takes almost an hour]. 

The view from Carnedd Llewelyn is rather more extensive than 
om Carnedd Dafydd, and more impressive, because the Black 
adders are included in it. From Moel Fammau to Bardsey Isle, 
id the Great Orme to Cader, with most of the notable summits 
stween, is enough— to say nothing of Ireland, Scotland (wry sel- 
Dm seen), and Cumberland. The isle of Man is plain enough on a 
ne day ; you see Rhyl, Llandudno, Beaumaris, Bethesda, the Vales 
f Conway and the Ogwen, and, of course, the splendid group of 
lountains across Nant Ffrancon and around Y Wyddfa. Elidyr 
Ises grandly, like a gigantic wedge, and the great cone of Tryfan 
tands out boldly from the Glyders. The summit of Llewelyn is 
apposed to have been a fortified post, but time and, perhaps, the 
rdnance surveyors have pretty well destroyed any traces, except 
f a few cyttiau (ancient huts). 

A ridge stretches first west and then north-west to Yr Elen 
3,151 feet), which is well worth visiting for its fine preci- 
pes. Another route from the cairn on Llewelyn, starting 
outh, and almost immediately going south-east, would take 



828 CARNEDD LLEWELYN. To the Sea. 

us over a ridge, and, by an ascent not to be recommended to 
very nervous people, to Pen Helyg, and on to Pen-llithrig- 
y-wrach, and so to Capel Curig. Our way to the sea is first 
to the north-east, bearing rather to the right when we reach 
the cairn in coming from Carnedd Dafydd. In a little while 
we pass a stone, two or three feet high, stuck on end, and 
covered with initials, marking the spot where a few years ago 
a quarryman died in the snow. Our way continues almost 
north, over the right-hand slope of Foel Grdch (3,195 feet), 
and then N.N.W. towards Yr Arryg (2,875 feet). Here we 
must decide upon our course. If we are bound for Aber the 
safest way is to bear left, by a route already described in the 
reverse direction (pp. 265, 266), to the left of Yr Arryg and 
the rocky Bera Bach, and on towards Drosgol ; then for some 
distance along the right slope of Drosgol until we come to 
the lateral valley between that mountain and Moel Wnion. 
Here we can either descend to the right to the Aber Falls (p. 
267), or continue over the right slopes of Moel Wnion. 

Otherwise we can ascend north-east again from Yr Arryg, 
bending to the right, and reach the cairn on Foel Frds (3,091 
feet), in about an hour from Carnedd Llewelyn. We see 
Llyn-an-afon below, and for Llanfair-fechan descend a good 
distance to the right of it by a wire fence, and then, turning 
to the left, reach the road described on p. 259. 

Mountaineers who are determined to descend the path close to 
the Aber Falls should be warned of the danger of the descent. In 
April, 1873, Mr. Frederic Payne, a promising young barrister, and 
a friend, were making their way down, when, having just before 
remarked, " Oh, I could not slip here," Mr. Payne took hold of a 
stump, which broke, and he fell a fearful distance over the rocks 
and was killed. This was not the last fatal accident here. 

The ascent from Aber is described on pages 265, 266, and 
from Llanfair-fechan on page 263. 

Another ascent, from Llyn Ogwen, is past Ffynnon Lloer, 
for which we should leave the Bangor road a very short dis- 
tance on the Capel Curig side of the lake, cross a bridge, 
pass behind the house nearest to the lake and cross the Lloer 
stream by a little footbridge. The stream will guide us to 
the lake, Ffynnon Lloer, in a fine situation, about 2,000 feet 
above the sea, or 1,000 above the road, and reached from 
there in about an hour. From the lake a grassy slope might 
be scaled to Carnedd Dafydd on the right; or we might 
climb the ridge on the other side (left of the lake, and near 
its outlet], and ascend over Braich Du, noticing by the way 
the remains of ancient " circular houses " on the ridge imme- 
diately above the lake. 

To find the routes for the de»esnt on the Ogwen side is easy 
enough. From Llewelyn, direct, descend south and then south- 
west across the ridge which has Llugwy Lake on the left, and 



From Bethesda. CARNEDD LLEWELYN. 329 

reach the point where the ridge runs to the right for the summit 
of Dafydd. Here keep on down, and presently bend to the right 
and descend by Glan Uugwy Farm (p. 326) to the road. 

From Dafydd, direct, descend the grassy slopes, avoiding the 
stones and rocks as far as possible. Make for a rock which you see 
in the line of vision with Capel Curig (of which one or two houses 
are visible). After a while you will see a few trees on the high 
road and a bridge to the left of them ; the mountain road you want 
to reach runs up towards you from the trees. 

From Bethesda over Carnedd Llewelyn 
and Carnedd Dafydd. 

To Carnedd Llewelyn, direct, 3 hours ; to Carnedd Dafydd, 
direct, 3 h. ; to Carnedd Llewelyn, over Dafydd, and back to 
Bethesda, 6 h. Bethesda is about 470 feet above the sea. 

There are several routes from Bethesda. For Carnedd 
Llewelyn, whatever route is taken, going from the station, 
turn to the right on the Bangor road, and oeyond the Douglas 
Arms Hotel take a road to the left. In two or three minutes, 
at cross roads, turn to the right past some cottages, turn left 
through an iron gate and soon pass through a wicket gate, 
and shortly enter a lane close to a bridge over the Caseg. 
Not crossing the bridge, take a middle track through a little 
metal swing gate, and, avoiding a fork to the left, reach an- 
other lane. 

Here the routes diverge. Some climbers will cro»» the lane and 
continue up another lane until the last house is passed, then take 
% footpath on the right, first running parallel with the lane, but, 
when a stile is crossed, descending towards the Caseg, near which 
It runs for nearly three miles to some sheep-pens near the foot of 
31ogwyn-yr-helwyn, which runs up to the left of the stream, to 
Foel Or fieri . You climb to Foel Grach, where you turn to the 
-ight. But this is a tiresome route. 

The following is the shortest ascent. Instead of crossing 
he lane, turn to the right along it, take the first turn to the 
eft after crossing the Caseg, and- soon turn left again by 
ome houses, and cross a little stream. Keep on by road 
nd path, through a gate — it is rather wet here, and the path 
i indistinct, but it is seen again in a few yards ; it goes 
.raight on, and presently alongside a rough road, through 
nother gate, and then straight on to the hill in front. The 
ath continues wet and indistinct in places, but it is impossible 
> reach Llewelyn dry-shod, except by making a long circuit, 
e aching the hill, our way bends to the right along its lower 
opes 'and goes far up the valley of the Llafar, which on the 
>uth is flanked by the grand precipices of Carnedd Dafydd. 
fter passing some mines (on the other side of the valley), 
cend gradually and strike the ridge where Tr Elen joins 
lewelyn. The precipices on the other side of the ridge are 
)rth looking at, but be careful. [At this point in the Burn- 
er of 1888 the writer saw what is familiarly called the 
Spectre of the Brocken," which he has since seen two or 



330 CARNEDD DAFTDD. From Bethesda. 

three times from Snowdon]. Then climb up Carnedd Llew- 
elyn to the cairn. [Some climbers will prefer to continue up 
Cwm Pen Llafar to the ridge which separates it from Cwm 
Llugwy, and ascend from there]. The descent by the same 
route is given below. 

For Carnedd Dafydd, descend from Llewelyn south, and 
then go south-west, with Llugwy Lake on the left, and when 
the high ridge leading to the right to Carnedd Dafydd is 
reached turn along it to the summit. The best descent is to 
keep on past the summit for some distance along Braich Du, 
and turn to the right along Pen-yr-oleu-wen, and descend to 
the right of a wall. When the Berthan stream is. reached, 
near a cart-track, descend near and on the left of the stream 
to the Bangor road, and there turn to the right. A more 
direct descent can be made down the mountain-side from 
near the cairn, but it is often a very wet walk. 

From Bethesda over Carnodd Dafydd 
and Carnodd Llewelyn. 

Ascent of Carnedd Dafydd, 3 h. ; on to Carnedd Llewelyn, 
1 hour; descent of Carnedd Llewelyn, 2 hours. 

The most direct route to Carnedd Dafydd is to continue 
along the (second) road over the Caseg, mentioned on p. 329, 
until the Llafar also is crossed, and the road passes to the left 
of a farm, beyond which pass through or over a gate on the 
right, and up some rocks where you will find a path on the 
left of the ridge. From the end of this path your way is as 
straight as the bogs will allow you to go to the summit. 

The best plan is to go on foot or by one of the Ogwen brakes 
(which ply from the railway station) to Ty'n-y-maes, a hamlet 
a little way short of the 32nd milestone (nearly 2£ miles from 
the station), and then, starting by a chapel, climb the grassy 
hill-side on the right of the Berthan stream. An easier 
ascent is found by continuing for another mile along the 
Ogwen road, and at Ty Gwyn farm turning up between the 
buildings, and ascending by a mountain road which runs back 
towards Bethesda. This road will bring us to the point we 
should have reached by ascending near the side of the 
Berthan ; and from this point we turn to the right, ascend on 
the left of a wall, and when Braich Du is reached turn left 
for Carnedd Dafydd. For Carnedd Llewelyn keep on past 
the cairn, and after a time along Bwlch Cyfrwy Drum ; and 
when the summit of Llewelyn is reached turn to the left 
(west). At the junction of Yr Elen with Carnedd Llewelyn, 
look (carefully) at the fine precipices running down to Ffyn- 
non Caseg on the right. [This route should be avoided in 
fog]. Then descend gradually to the left, and near the base 



View. PEtt-LLlTHRtG-Y-WRACH. 531 

of the hill bend to the right. An indistinct path will be 
found which runs round the slopes until the Caseg stream is 
not very far off in front, and there turns to the left for 
Bethesda, which is in view. 

From the Conway Valley. 

[From Porth-lwyd Fall, 4 hours]. 

Carnedd Llewelyn can be approached from the Conway Valley 
by way of Llyn Dulyn (page 216), but we will describe a more In- 
teresting route. Reach Porth-lwyd FaU (page 215) by driving to 
Porth-lwyd bridge, or walking from Tal-y-cafn station (about 4 
miles) or Llanrwst (4J). A path runs on above the fall, and passes 
to the right of a cottage. Then we go along a lane, and straight on 
by a path, cross a road, and again go straight on to the hill In front. 
Passing a chapel, we bend to the left over a slope of the hill, and 
then to the right, and after a while reach a road [which has come 
up from Tal-y-bont, and this road we should have followed, in 
coming from Tal-y-cafn or Conway, except to see the fine fall at 
Porth-lwyd]. We turn to the left along this road, having the rounded 
mass of Moel Eilio on our left, and after a while cross a bridge 
over the Porth-lwyd stream, near its outlet from Llyn Eigiau (1,219 
feet above the sea), near which the road runs on ; though the lake 
is not seen at first, lying low under the fine precipices of Craig 
Eigiau. The view on both sides is Impressive; on the left is Pen- 
llithrig-y-wrach, and then Pen Helyg. Our road ends some dis- 
tance further on at a slate quarry (1,650 feet) in a great mountain 
recess, with immense walls of rock on the left. We follow a path 
for a little way and then we keep on, bending a little to the right, 
cross a stream, and ascend the hill-side, soon pass a pretty little 
fall on the right and still ascend. We have to scale the high 
ridge on our right front, and make for a point a little to the right 
of two rocky eminences. As we climb we see Ffynnon Llyffaint on 
the left. Having reached the ridge, we join the track from Aber 
and Llanfair-fechan, and climb to the cairn on Carnedd Llewelyn. 



pen<4tttbrtg*i^wracb ani> pen f)el$g. 

Pen-Uithrig-y-wrach (2,621 feet) rises near Capel Curig, 
and Pen Helyg (also called Moel-y-ci-du) is between Pen- 
llithrig and Carnedd Llewelyn. From Capel Curig to Pen- 
Uithrig, 2 hours. 

Follow the Bangor road from Capel Curig for about half- 
a mile, and turn (right) by a track mentioned on page 299. 
The summit of Pen-llithrig' is in view, and can be reached 
without difficulty. Below to the right is Llyn Cowlyd, 
and across it Craig Eryrod. Llyn Eigiau is to the north ; 
Conway and Llandudno with its pier are seen clearly a little 
to the east of north, Llanrwst looks close below us to the 
east, and further off (north-east) are Rhyl and the Vale of 
Clwyd. Then, carrying the eye right, we see Moel Fammau, 
the Berwyns, the Arenigs, the Arans, Moelwyn, hollow- 
sided, to the west of south, Cnicht, the sea at Portmadoc, 
Snowdon, Idwal, Ogwen, and the fine mountains about it. 



832 MOBL SIABOD. From Capel Curig. 

Now, with our back to Llyn Cowlyd, we descend some six 
or seven hundred feet and then ascend Pen Helyf£, and 
then, keeping on (north-west), we could make a descent, 
which very nervous people might dislike, cross a ridge, and 
ascend Carnedd Llewelyn. 



Aoel Stabob. 

Ascent of Moel Siabod (2,860 feet) from Capel Curig, 1& 
hour, Pont-y-cyfyng, 1J hour, Pen-y-gwryd, 2 hours, Dol- 
wyddelan, 2 hours. Capel Curig is 600 feet above the sea; 
Dolwyddelan 450 feet. 

Passing down by the (Pen-y-gwryd) side of the Royal Hotel 
at Capel Curig, and crossing the bridge in front of it, the 
road runs up to a building. Then our path turns to the left, 
crosses a stream, passes through a gate, runs up by the side 
of the stream, and reaches some slate works. From here we 
keep up the left of a little valley. Presently a low wall is 
reached ; we cross it, bear right, and in a few minutes left 
and reach another wall, which can be passed through at a 
sheep-fold. Then we keep up along a ridge, and presently 
climb a grassy slope, aiming for the right of the rocks we 
see above us, and the cairn will then be easily reached to the 
right of this rocky secondary summit, which is what we see 
from Capel Curig. We have a rich reward. Almost all the 
great peaks of Snowdonia rise before us — the Carnedds, the 
head of Tryfan to the right of Glyder Fach, Snowdon, etc. 
— and further away is the sea, with the Great Orme's Head, 
and many a spot familiar to the frequenter of the coast. 

For the descent to Capel Curig keep down the grassy slopes bear- 
ing a little to the right, and after a while come to a wall, which 
you can pass through at a sheep-fold. The way here bends to the 
left and soon to the right, to another wall, which you cross and 
then keep on the right of a little valley, and pass some slate works. 
The path is plain from here, by a stream, which it crosses after 
a time, and reaches a lane by a building, and when the lane 
divides you take the left branch. If you descend to Pen-y-ffwryd, 
do not make a straight line for it, or you will probably flounder in 
bogs; keep to the west along the ridge to Bwlch Rhiw 'r Tchain. 
For the descent from the Bwlch see page 242. For the aecent from 
Pen-y-gwryd see page 296; and from the Bwlch climb to the left. 

There is also an ascent from near the school, Capel Curig. 
Cross the bridge, turn to the right through the wood, and 
ascend by a path which presently passes through a wall. 
Turn to the left, when you will soon see the wedge of the 
mountain ; and make for it. The summit is to the right of 
the high rocky ridge. 

For climbers sojourning at Bettws, or between there and 
Pont-y-cyfyng, the Pont-y-cyfyng ascent is convenient. Take 



From Dolwyddelan. MOEL SIABOD. 838 

the second turn to the right after crossing Pont-y-cyfyng, 
and only a few yards from that bridge. Ascend for a while, 
and then make for a tramway, and ascend by the side of it 
nearly to a quarry, close under what looks like but is not the 
summit. Before reaching the quarry strike up the shoulder 
on the right, and at the top keep to the right of the rocky, 
ridge for nearly a mile, and then ascend to the cairn. 

From Dolwyddelan the following is the shortest ascent, but one 
easily missed, in which case the climber may flounder in bogs. 
From the post office walk half a mile along the Festinlog road, 
then, by a house, take a green road on the right, and opposite the 
Castle a mountain road which runs up to the right, and leads to a 
gate in a fence. Here cross a stile and walk along the fence to the 
right for a few minutes until there is dry ground on your left. 
Then walk to the left, at first towards a building in the middle of the 
moorland, but bearing upwards a little, and you will come to a wire 
fence. Cross it and make for the lower part of some rocky ground, 
and then bear to the left until you see a grassy way up to the 
shoulder of Siabod. This is your way, but choose rocky parts to 
escape wet ground as much as possible, and thus reach the top of 
the shoulder, where you turn to the right and finally pass to the 
left of some rocks on the left of the summit. 

In descending go a few yards to the west, turn left, and descend 
a long grassy slope with rocks on the left. The Duwaunedd Lakes 
come in view, and soon you turn to the left and descend, making 
for Dolwyddelan, which you see in front, but keep under the rocks 
for some distance, and at last pass oyer the driest part of the moor- 
land to a stone fence, cross it, turn to the right along it, and 
presently reach the gate mentioned in the last paragraph. 

An ascent in which you escape the chance of bogs is made by 
going to Bwlch Rhiw 'r Y chain (p. 242), and then turning to the 
right and following a wire fence to within four or five hundred 
yards of the summit. It is an impressive walk from the Bwlch, 
with the valley below, and Snowdon and other great mountains 
in view all the time. 

There is yet a third course, shorter than the last, but not so 
picturesque. Taking the last route as far as the gate near the 
sheep-fold (p. 242) and following the path towards the lakes for a 
few yards as far as the highest point, make for a large rock a few 
score yards to the right, then up the green slope before you, be- 
tween two rocky points, and then along the shoulder to the sum- 
mit, reaching it finally as described in the first Dolwyddelan route. 

In descending, for this route follow the last descent for some dis- 
tance, but keep on towards the Duwaunedd lakes, bearing rather 
to the left of them, and you will reach a wire fence. In this fence 
is the gate near the sheep-fold, on the road to Dolwyddelan, al- 
ready mentioned. 



Cnicbt ant> /ftoelwstu 

Cnicht, sometimes written Cynicht (2,265 feet), and Moel- 
wyn (2,527) rise between Beddgelert and the vale of Fes- 
tiniog. Summit of Cnicht, from Beddgelert, 2J— 3 hours, 
from Pen-y-gwryd, 3J hours; Moelwyn, from Tan-y-grisiau 
station, 1J hour; height from Tan-y-grisiau, under 2,000 
feet. 



834 CNICHT. From Beddgdert. 

From Beddgdert mountaineers fond of a stiff climb, trying 
to some nerves, will go along the old road described on page 
309, to the shoulder of Cnicht, which comes down to the road 
a little way before Croesor is reached. Care should be 
exercised in making the ascent, and we describe one which is 
easier. 

Go along the Croesor road until it crosses the road from 
Nanmor (p. 309), and then keep up the Nanmor vale until the 
Nanmor slate works are reached ; then turn up the hill to the 
right of a cottage on the right of the stream which comes 
down Cwm Celli lago. Follow the path until you see your way 
clear up a spur on the right of the summit of Cnictlt, which 
faces you. [The name is believed by some to be borrowed 
from the English word knight']. Or you may go a third of a 
mile beyond Llyn-y-ddinas, cross a bridge, and soon turn 
left by a road which after a while bends to the right, and reach 
the Nanmor slate works. The prospect is much the same 
as that from Moelwyn, described on page 335. You do not 
look down into the Vale of Festiniog as you do there, but 
the view of the valleys far below is very fine. 

For the descent by Cwin Celli lago keep westerly (rather to the 
left, facing Snowdon) for a little while, and then turn to the 
right, descend to the left of a stream when you reach it, and. 
arrived at the road, turn to the left for Pont Aberglaslyn or right 
for the Vale of Gwynant, for which, in a mile, your road turns to 
the left. [At the first house after turning to the right on the road, 
a footpath for Beddgelert begins, but it is difficult to find]. 

Another ascent (3£ h.) may be mentioned. At the door 
of the hotel at Pen-y-gwryd you see Cnicht in the distance, 
to the right of the " knobby " peak of Moel Meirch. Cross 
the road, pass through the first gate and make for Moel 
Meirch, and (left of it) pass Llyn Edno. Then keep south to 
Llyniau Cwn, pass to the left of these llyns and of Llyn-yr- 
adar, and up and along the ridge to the summit of Cnicht. 

For Moelwyn (from Cnicht) walk (N.E.) along the long ridge for 
some distance and descend a grassy slope, pass two lakes, skirt 
the great Croesor hollow (on your right) and ascend Moelwyn by 
a green slope to the left of a stretch of shale. 

Of Croesor the story goes that Elen of the Hosts (of whom we 
have previously gossiped) heard here that her son had been slain 
with an arrow by the giant Cidwm, who dwelt in the rocky eyrie 
that frowns above Llyn Cwellyn, and still preserves his name; 
whereupon she cried " Croee avrr i mi!" ("A bitter hour to me!"), 
and the place ever since has been called Croesawr or Croesor. 

For Moelwyn from Beddgelert (or from Tan-y-bwlch 
station) walk to (or near) the hamlet of Croesor (p. 309), or 
drive to within a mile of it. On the south of Cwm Croesor 
Braich-y-parc, a shoulder of Moelwyn, comes down to the 
Tan-y-bwlch road, and it is an easy climb (with footpath part 
of .the way) to the summit. 



View. MOELWYN. 335 

From Tan-y-grisiau station (the nearest to the summit) 
you will be allowed to walk (warily) along the line about 250 
yards towards Portmadoc. Then, almost immediately after 
passing through (or crossing) a gate on the right, turn left, 
and then right, and after crossing a stile, left again and 
follow a path. After a while you pass a succession of small 
but picturesque cascades on the little stream that comes 
down from a lake (Llyn Trwstyllon) above. When you reach 
the lake the rounded head of Moelwyn becomes visible — 
furthest to the right of the peaks before you. Keep to the 
right of the lake, make your way gradually up the shoulder, 
and at last you will have a steep pull to the cairn. Moelwyn 
stands at the head of Traeth Mawr, down which the Glaslyn 
runs to the sea from the Pass of Aberglaslyn, which is below 
you to the north of west. 

On the right of the Traeth, near the sea, is Portmadoc, with 
Moel-y-gest beyond it, and there is a fine view of this part of the 
coast. Harlech and Criccieth Castles are to be seen, opposite one 
another at the extreme end of the Traeths; further off Pwllheli, 
St. Tttdwal's Isles, and Bardsey at the point of the Carnarvon pro- 
montory, on which the hills of Cam Madryn, Cam Boduan, and 
Yr Eifl rise In succession. Moel Hebog looks close at hand, across 
Pont Aberglaslyn, and to the right of it there is a glimpse of the 
sea, and the Menai Straits with Anglesey beyond. Snowdon rises 
nearly north-west, with Grib Gdch, looking reddish, as its name 
implies, to the right of it, and still further to the right a row of 
disused buildings at Pen-y-pass. The long line of the Glyders 
rises above Pen-y-pass, Tryfan peeps over them, and beyond are 
the greater heights of Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn. 
Moel Siabod is nearer than the Glyders, and to the right of them ; 
and to the right of Siabod, in the far distance, we distinguish the 
sea near Rhyl, with the Clwydian range rising up to Moel Fain- 
mau. Considerably more to the right the Berwyns stand, then the 
Arenigs and the Arans, and (nearly south) the huge mass of Cader 
Idris, with the mountains up to Harlech. Below us to the north- 
east and south-east are the town of Blaenau and the villages of 
Festiniog and Trawsfynydd. 

For Cnicht (from Moelwyn) descend a grassy slope to the right 
of some shale, keep to the right of some little eminences and the 
left of a shallow depression with whitish shores, reach a path, 
follow it to the right until some houses are a little way off in 
front, then turn to the left, pass two lakes, and climb a grassy 
hollow to the ridge of Cnicht, where you turn to the left. 



/ftoel t)ebog. 

Moel Hebog (2,566 feet) rises to the west of Beddgelert. 
Time from Beddgelert, 1J— 2 hours, from Criccieth, 4— 4J 
hours, over Hebog from Beddgelert to Criccieth, 5— 5£ 
hours. Beddgelert is 130 feet above the sea. 

From Beddgelert the following is considered the best 
ascent. About five minutes' walk along the Carnarvon 
road turn to the left by a house, cross a bridge, pass one 



338 MOEL HEBOG. From Beddgelcrt. 

bouse and immediately before reaching another follow a 
path to the right, pass through two gates and then turn up 
by a wall. Soon you cross a little ridge on the right and 
make for the left corner of a wood, and still bearing to the 
right soon climb a lofty shoulder, when the way is plain to 
the summit. 

You can also go along the Aberglaslyn road for a few 
score yards past the Goat, then turn' through an iron gate 
and follow a footpath. Presently you pass above some old' 
mineral works, and not long afterwards cross a pleasant 
stream, and ascend to the summit. During the ascent you 
have beautiful views of Snowdon, up the Gwynant Valley to 
Llyn-y-ddinas, up the Colwyn vale to Llyn-y-gader and Llyn- 
y-dywarchen, and on the other side to the sea between Port- 
madoc and Harlech. Arrived at the summit you find a 
cairn, and have a glorious panorama. Hebog affords pecu- 
liarly fine views of the sea, away south to St. David's Head. 

When you have had your fill of it you can take a long descent 
to the pleasant watering-place of* Criccieth (south-west), oir the 
Cambrian Railway, descending first by a wall, south-west, and 
keeping pretty well straight on down the ridge until you reach a 
roaa far below. Then turn right and presently left to Llanfthangel. 
In about another mile turn to the left over a bridge, then to the 
right by a footpath to a road, then to the left, and soon to the 
right again by a road which will take you to Criccieth in say three 
hours and a half from the summit. The ascent from Criccieth is 
described on page 105, Part I. 

For the descent to Beddgelert, go first north, then north-east, and 
presently make for the corner of a plantation. From there you bear 
to the right and cross a little ridge, then go down on the left 
of a wall and find a path leading to a farm, whence you follow a 
mountain track to the high road. A more direot descent to the 
farm might be made. 



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